The St. Louis Blues announced Monday that defenseman Logan Mailloux has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds on a conditioning assignment, five weeks after surgery on his hand. In a few weeks, he will officially return to the roster on a right side that has become increasingly crowded as the season has moved along.
The clock starts now
Mailloux injured his right hand in the Blues' final preseason game and underwent surgery on Sept. 28. By reassigning. During the 14-day assignment, Mailloux will have the chance to get into five games, starting with Friday, Nov. 4th's matchup at home against the Hershey Bears. Mailloux can play in Springfield while remaining on Injured Reserve, so he does not technically occupy an active spot on the 23-man roster.
The harder question, though, will come once he is activated. The right side of the Blues' defense currently includes Colton Parayko, Brandon Carlo, Justin Barron, Mailloux, and Adam Jiříček.
While he is currently listed as day-to-day, Parayko is averaging the third-highest ice time wth just under 21 minutes per night. Barron, who was claimed off waivers from Nashville at the end of Sept., has settled nicely onto the team and is second among all Blues defensemen with eight points in 11 games, despite only playing roughly 16 minutes per night. Barron has played well above expectations for the Blues but has created a little more of a roster puzzle at this point in the season. Jiříček has shown flashes early in his NHL career, and what makes him such a special prospect for the organization.
The Blues limited options
The looming return of Mailloux gives the Blues eight defensemen for six spots, leaving two healthy scratches. The likeliest outcome would mean Mailloux likely takes a second or even third pairing deployment upon his return with either Jiříček or Carlo coming out.
Carlo is the veteran option but does not overly jump off the page stastically. He has played in all 14 games to date, grabbed one assist, a minus-2 rating, 21 hits, 18 blocked shots, while playing just under 18 minutes a night.
Jiříček is the more interesting case. He is waiver-exempt, so the Blues could reassign him to Springfield without exposing him to claims from the rest of the league. The question is how little ice time the Blues are willing to give him before that becomes the better move. The AHL would give him 20-plus minutes in every situation to help continue to grow and develop his pro-ready talent.
What it means for the season
In the short term, Mailloux's return is a massive gain for the Blues' defensive depth. It gives Blues coach Jim Montgomery a healthy way to rest Parayko throughout the season and add another two-way threat each night. Mailloux notched 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and 48 penalty minutes in 67 games during the 2025-26 season and offers real top-four talent upside.
The long-term picture carries the bigger weight, however. With Carlo's contract expiring after this season, and both Jiříček and Barron restricted free agents this coming summer, the Blues will have decisions to make. The organization can choose to be patient with Jiříček, who is only in the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract, but has already shown flashes that he is ready to play in the NHL. Ice time will become a premium in St. Louis, especially for their defensemen, as the Blues work out the future of their blue line.
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