The St. Louis Blues got one of their key defenders back near the end of the regular season in 2024-25. The only problem is that he did not return and make a nearly significant enough impact.
Nick Leddy, who went down with a lower-body injury on October 22 of last season, missed 49 games before returning to action. When he came back on February 4, he played out the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.
With newly acquired defenseman Philip Broberg, the Blues planned on giving Leddy a secure look at the second pairing. But it was with another new face that he would be paired up with. Leddy saw the most time this season with Cam Fowler, playing 217 minutes together and having a xGoalsFor of 7.3.
As a whole, Leddy had two goals and three assists for five points in 31 games. One big thing that jumps off the statline, and it was obvious watching him play, was giveaways. He had 43 of them, five more than he had in 2023-24, and he played every game.
In the first round matchup with Winnipeg, Leddy saw an average of 14:11 of ice time throughout the seven-game series. He did not factor much on the scoring front, only gaining an assist in the series. Defensively, he was tolerable, which you could generally say about much of the Blues' defensive core.
Where does he go from here?
For 2025-26, his standing on the Blues roster is an unknown. Leddy is still signed through the end of the year, so this is a contract year for the 34-year-old. If he is not moved before the start of the year, there is a near guarantee that he will be a trade deadline move next season.
Torey Krug and Ryan Suter are both likely done with the Blues, so there is a need at that position. Keeping Leddy now might be a necessity, at least until they can find a better option.