The Blues defense will largely go as far as the top pair can take it, but don't discount the second pair as a critical component of the calculus.
Philip Broberg and Justin Faulk man the second blue line pairing, and with them comes some good and some bad. Let's analyze their impact for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
A mixed bag of defense
The second pair offers differing defensive styles between Justin Faulk and Philip Broberg. Faulk does not offer much defensively as an offensive defenseman, and his defensive play has been declining over the years as he has aged. He doesn't have the athleticism or quickness to recover on plays like he once did and easily gets beaten by speed.
Philip Broberg, on the other hand, is about as defensively sound as they come. You would be hard-pressed to find a better defender at his age, as he plays like a seasoned veteran on the defensive side of the puck. His mind has perfectly adapted to know where he has to be at the right time to disrupt passing lanes and create chaos defensively, and he executes it to perfection.
There is very little to nitpick in Broberg's game, whereas there is a lot in Faulk's. This is why it is somewhat of a mixed bag, as the pair as a whole is about a net neutral defensively, with some really good moments and some bad.
Offensively limited
Offensively, there is not as much to speak of. Broberg and Faulk are both low-producing defenseman, registering only 29 and 32 points, respectively.
Faulk used to be more of a goalscoring defenseman, marking as many as 16 goals in a season at one point. His offense usually came from the back of the net, but as he aged, his goal totals fell off, and last season, he scored only four times. If he's not scoring goals, he doesn't run into a lot of other points, meaning his offensive impact is limited at this point in his career.
Broberg had a slow year offensively, registering fewer points than his defensive partner. His offensive contributions come mostly from the play in transition, where he excels. He is excellent at clearing the puck from the defensive zone and transitioning it to offense by aiding or often creating a rush chance going the other way. However, while these plays do often lead to offensive chances, they do not always lead to points, as rush chances can involve a lot of passing back and forth, so his point total suffers and doesn't reflect the full offensive picture.
Overall, Broberg and Faulk provide enough offense to be an intriguing offensive pair, but not much more. They don't have consistent offensive games to provide a real impact, meaning their offensive upside is limited.
Room for growth?
There is a chance the second pair can improve this season and become something exciting by the end of the season. In my opinion, this would require the demotion of Justin Faulk to the third pair and have Logan Mailloux take his place.
Broberg is still a young skater on the rise, so there can be some development expected. His defense is already elite, so if his offense can improve some, that is a real quality skater.
Mailloux has all the tools to be an offensive force and has looked great in his preseason and training camp looks so far, so perhaps by season's end, we will see a shakeup of the depth chart and find Mailloux ahead of Faulk. If this does take place, that is one excellent defender with good offense paired with an excellent offensive force, which sounds like a much more intriguing match.
Either way it shakes out, the second pair is starting at a baseline of acceptable play, and really only has room to go up. If Faulk doesn't work out, Mailloux is waiting right behind him to take over, and the second pair could become a lot more than solid.