In a shocking trade, the St. Louis Blues sent Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Logan Mailloux. Mailloux, a right-handed defenseman with some potential to be a solid top-4 player, has a very small and limited sample size. But, with the pending logjam on both wings of the centerman, it was the right call to ship off Bolduc.
It comes down to what the Blues had to offer and what gaps they needed to fill for the 2025-26 season. After nearly making it into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, the focus is on going further next season. To do so, they needed to reinforce the blueline.
Bolduc loss hurts
In retrospect, the fans' disdain is not toward Mailloux, but rather toward losing Bolduc. The young winger was a core piece to the franchise with a bright future ahead of him in the Blue Note. With 19 goals and 17 assists last season, he was an appreciated part of the Blues' success in 2024-25.
So, his loss hurts. Badly. But, with an abundance of wingers in the system, one had to eventually go. Jummy Snuggerud only got his chances last season with Dylan Holloway going down to injury. In order for both of them to find a spot in the lineup, Bolduc unfortunately had to be the odd man out.
Mailloux could fit right in
At 6'3, 212 lbs, Mailloux is a tank on the blue line. A potential Colton Parayko clone could be upon us, and it will do wonders. At 22-years-old, there will be some growing pains at first but the Blues can prosper on his longevity as they move toward a younger core of defenseman.
Torey Krug is out, and Nick Leddy may soon be as well. Ryan Suter might be retiring as well, leaving a big hole in the defense that needed to be patched immediately. This deal for Mailloux fixes it both short and long-term.