St. Louis Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux joined the club last season, brimming with plenty of hype.
However, a slow start put a damper on the optimism, calling into question the trade that sent Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens. Mailloux, nonetheless, was able to rebound after a brief stint in the AHL.
That rebound towards the end of the season helped the 23-year-old earn a regular spot on the blue line last season.
That was last year. Now, the slate is clean for the Blues and Mailloux. And with that, the rising star will need to secure his spot in the Blues’ lineup.
That’s why Mailloux cannot afford to get off to another slow start. Such a situation could prove costly. It’s not so much that he could go back to the AHL. It’s that there are other prospects pushing for playing time.
Let’s start with Theo Lindstein. The 21-year-old looks to become a mainstay on St. Louis’ defense corps. Yes, Lindstein is a left-shot while Logan Mailloux is a righty. But if Lindstein can take up a regular lineup spot, that may just lead Jim Montgomery to rethink his placement.
For instance, could Tyler Tucker slide into the right side in place of Mailloux? That’s a possibility. But there’s an even better one. The Blues could just call up Adam Jiricek and give him a chance to prove what he can do.
As such, a Lindstein-Jiricek pairing could be something certainly worth watching. And if such a thing ever came to pass, it could mean Mailloux sitting on the outside looking in.
Logan Mailloux might have a bit of an edge on Blues’ other prospects
There might just be one advantage that Logan Mailloux may have over other prospects. The Blues have several up-and-coming prospects potentially pushing for playing time. However, they’re all lefties.
For example, Ralph Colin and Arseni Koromyslov could be guys trying to get a longer look at the NHL level.
But unless one of them can excel on his offside, they’ll be competing for a spot on the left side. That’s fine, considering that as many as two spots could open up in the coming seasons.
That’s why Mailloux may have a longer runway than other prospects might otherwise have. The organization will want to give the former Canadiens’ first-rounder every opportunity it can to prove he belongs in the NHL.
Nevertheless, there is only so much patience that the Blues can have with Mailloux. If the club is serious about contending as soon as this season, it’ll have to prioritize the hot hands. And if Mailloux gets off to a slow start, it could force a decision.
Let’s see what happens in camp. The betting odds are that Mailloux makes the team and gets a chance to build on the success he had towards the end of the last season. But there’s no doubt that he’ll be under the microscope, especially early on, since the margin for error in the Central Division is minuscule.
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