The St. Louis Blues have one of the deepest prospect pools in the National Hockey League. 17 players in their farm system were selected in the first round, and the hope is that this will instill the league's next dynasty.
One of those players who was not drafted by the Blues in the first round but instead by the Montreal Canadiens is Logan Mailloux. He is entering the 2026-27 season with a lackluster rookie campaign, with consistent benchings marking the highlight of the year.
But, he did seem to shred off a bit of the growing pains a bit down the stretch. The hope is that No. 23 comes back to the Blues next season with that same kind of effort and result.
If not, this could be the end of the road for the kid, as he signed a one-year deal worth $850,000 as a put-up-or-shut-up contract. Play well enough for General Manager Alexander Steen to keep you, or get the U-Haul ready.
Mailloux has to give it all
There are a couple of ways that Mailloux can earn Steen's trust, and that is by first earning head coach Jim Montgomery's trust. Philip Broberg is the new top defenseman on this roster, uprooting Colton Parayko from that duty. Mailloux has to do what he can to earn a spot on that first defensive pairing and stay there for the entirety of the season.
A 6-23 pairing might be a perfect match for not only now, but in the long term. Both are a part of this young core group, and if a dynasty is truly in the cards, they could be the next version of what the Chicago Blackhawks had in their dynasty years with Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Chemistry needs to build between Mailloux and Broberg now, for it to be synonymous later.
The other way to earn Steen's trust and to remain a Blue past the 2026-27 season is to stay accountable. He is not going to be perfect, but being better than what was seen last season is the key here. For what it seems, the Blues are not going to be a threat for the Stanley Cup soon, but Mailloux has to be a catalyst for this team when that time comes.
In this one-year tryout, Mailloux has to try to leave it all out on the ice. There is no tomorrow with his current deal, and names like Adam Jiricek and Colin Ralph are knocking on the door as the next waves of Blues blue-liners.
No. 23 has to be a breakout player in 2026-27. No exceptions.
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