The St. Louis Blues started the season plagued by injuries to multiple players. Beginning with Tyler Tucker, eventually followed by the loss of Alexey Toropchenko and Dillon Dube. However, the most significant loss, though subjective, was to right-handed defenseman Logan Mailloux. Following the injury that was sustained during a pre-season fight, the Blues turned to rookie defenseman and former first-round selection Adam Jiricek to fill his spot in the lineup.
Now, six games into the season, Jiricek has looked as though he belongs on this roster. Raising an important question: What happens when Mailloux is ready to return to the lineup?
Mailloux’s strong finish
Mailloux was the Blues’ biggest acquisition during the 2025-26 offseason when they made the internal decision to trade Zachary Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the young defenseman, who fits the Blues’ timeline while filling a void on the right side of the blue line behind Colton Parayko.
Following the trade that brought Mailloux to St. Louis, his start was rough as he adjusted to the speed of the NHL while developing chemistry with new teammates as well as a new system. However, as the season progressed and he found his footing, he eventually earned top-pairing minutes alongside Philip Broberg toward the end of the season.
Heading into the season, the Blues were looking forward to seeing how Mailloux would continue to progress alongside Broberg. However, following his injury and Jiricek’s stellar start with the organization, questions have emerged regarding his value to the team and his place in the lineup.
The expendability of Mailloux
When it comes to the Blues’ current roster predicament, it’s an excellent problem to have. However, the question now becomes: How do they proceed with their roster upon the returns of Tucker and Mailloux, especially with Jiricek having earned a spot with this team? Furthermore, you have Justin Barron, who was claimed off waivers prior to the start of the season, and has been a solid addition to the Blues’ blue line as he splits games with prospect, Theo Lindstein. Now, the Blues have an abundance of defensemen and several one-way contracts, meaning they will have to determine the best course of action moving forward.
Currently, with the way the roster is constructed, there are a few different scenarios. First, they could send Jiricek back down to the American Hockey League (AHL), which feels like a misstep on the Blues' front office given the success that he’s had thus far in his NHL career. Second, they could send Lindstein down, given his two-way contract, allowing him to see minutes consistently and avoid waivers. However, neither option feels likely given where their development sits–seeing minutes in the NHL gives them the flexibility to let the NHL organization see their NHL capability, which prompts potential trade value, as well as letting them grow as players. They wouldn’t gain anything from being sent back down after their success in the NHL.
The Blues could very well waive Tucker, given the lack of roster spots; he just doesn’t have a spot with the NHL roster, and furthermore, should he be placed on waivers, it’s unlikely that a team claims him, meaning they retain his rights. This brings us to another option. Assuming they keep Jiricek in the NHL, the Blues could explore trade possibilities involving Lindstein and/or Mailloux. Which raises the question, who’s the more valuable and expendable defenseman? There is surely a case to be made that it’s Mailloux.
Around the league, there seems to be something of a shortage of right-shot defenseman, leaving many teams either promoting players that aren’t quite ready for the NHL or playing left-handed defenseman on the right side. When approaching it from that viewpoint, the value of a right-shot D-man is already inflated, but when you take into account other aspects such as his contract and youth, with the rapid growth he displayed last season, Mailloux’s value around the different organizations could be quite tantalizing.
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