The St. Louis Blues gained a valuable piece this offseason, but it took one or their rising stars in order to get him. In a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, the Blues picked up defenseman Logan Mailloux for Zack Bolduc.
As of now, the placement for Mailloux is just about set on the third-pairing with Tyler Tucker. If he can shine in his debut season with the Blue Note on his chest, the talk to moving him up to a top-four defensmen spot could come up.
But, with a few other prospects and players on the border of both the NHL-level and the American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, how short of a leash is Mailloux on? How much of a learning curve is head coach Jim Montgomery going to give him before looking at another option?
Growing pains?
The 22-year-old defenceman only has eight games on his resume. That's it, just eight regular-season games at the NHL level. To say that he is as green as it comes, you'd best believe that there are going to be some growing pains.
Theoretically, Mailloux should get a look for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and there is no reason why he shouldn't. Obviously, if he hits some rough stretches of blowing assignments or letting in too many goals from his side of the ice, there will be some leniency to keep him confident. But, if the mistakes continue to pile into the 2026 calendar year, that is when the Blues should start to give other players like Matthew Kessell a look for that third-pairing spot.
High potential?
Mailloux has all the potential of being a clone of Colton Parayko. A big, booming right-handed shot who can skate with ease. There is a high ceiling for this kid to be something special.
But, with a turbulent start to his career, both on and off the ice, Mailloux has a tough hill to climb. One thing he can bank on, however, is that this franchise supports him enough that they gave up a key piece to their future to give him an opportunity in St. Louis.