The St. Louis Blues’ biggest roster change has to be in their defensive structure. You can make a case for both the new-look top-six forward group and a potential new starting goaltender, but all eyes are on the blue line for the 2026-27 season.
We have already seen Philip Broberg elevate himself to become the first defenseman of this group. Both Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler, who were the top two, had such a bad performance in 2025-26 that their standing on this team has changed drastically.
Brandon Carlo was also brought in on draft night to help secure the net and net-minder.
But what about Logan Mailloux, who had a turbulent season himself, and the only reason why he is being considered for the Blues opening night roster is due to a late comeback performance? This franchise needs him to get off to an early start and is depending on him for a full 84-game stretch in 2026-27.
Mailloux has to find consistency
After being sat for a handful of games at the beginning of the season, Mailloux was being called an initial bust. The trade with Montreal involving Zack Bolduc looked like a fleece by the Canadiens.
But fast forward to the end of the year, primarily after the Olympics break, and it was a different story. The Blues, with Mailloux included, were firing on all cylinders. It looked like No. 23 was as advertised.
From February 28 through the end of the season, which spanned 24 games, Mailloux had four goals and six assists for 10 points and a +12 on the scoresheet. He also earned head coach Jim Montgomery's trust by being a consistently solid defender on the ice and was rewarded with well over 20+ minutes a night for a majority of those games.
For the 2026-27 season, he cannot enter it unpolished. He has to be every bit as good as he was to end the season. Of course, that is easier said than done. A first-pairing duo of Broberg and Mailloux should be the opening combo for the Blues, and then from there, let new defensive assistant coach Greg Cronin assess Mailloux's performance.
If those last two dozen games are a representation of what Mailloux is capable of, the Blues can rely on him for a lot of big responsibilities down the line. The 23-year-old fits nicely in this core group, and with a new contract on the line after the end of the 2026-27 season, he has a ton of motivation to be a solid d-man.
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