As the St. Louis Blues navigate the early stretch of the 2025–26 campaign, one theme has emerged with unmistakable clarity: the heavy lifting on the blue line is being done almost exclusively by the top four. Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg, and Cam Fowler are each averaging over 23 minutes per night, carrying the bulk of the defensive workload while also contributing significantly on special teams. With that kind of ice time distribution, the importance of reliable depth defensemen becomes critical and right now, all eyes are on Logan Mailloux to take that next step.
Mailloux opened the season in a depth role but struggled to find rhythm and confidence. His reads were inconsistent, his breakout execution wavered, and his defensive timing lagged behind the pace of play. The Blues ultimately assigned him to the Springfield Thunderbirds for additional reps—and the 21-year-old responded with a productive stretch. Across five AHL games, Mailloux recorded two goals, a -2 rating, and two penalty minutes, showing flashes of the assertiveness and offensive touch that make him a long-term project worth investing in.
His return to St. Louis, however, began with a tough-luck stat line. In his first NHL game back, Mailloux finished a -2, but this is where context and more than a box score matters. Head coach Jim Montgomery emphasized that one of the goals against had nothing to do with Mailloux’s positioning or decision-making. On the other, he was caught on an exhausting 2:19 shift as the Blues failed multiple clearing attempts and couldn’t execute a line change. The end result looked bad on paper, but Montgomery was quick to defend the young defenseman’s actual play.
Still, the challenge remains. With Parayko and Broberg logging over 20 minutes per game at even strength, Faulk and Fowler over two minutes per game on the power play, and Broberg and Parayko averaging just over two minutes per night on the penalty kill, the current model isn’t sustainable long-term. Meanwhile, the Blues have their depth defensemen in Tyler Tucker, Matthew Kessel, and Mailloux averaging next to zero time on the power play and only tucker who has averaged even more than 30 seconds on the penalty kill. They have taken steps but haven’t cemented themselves as unquestioned every-night options. Mailloux carries both the highest ceiling and the steepest learning curve among the depth group.
What the Blues need now isn’t perfection—just predictability. For Mailloux, that means clean first passes, avoiding extended defensive-zone shifts, winning retrievals, and trusting his instincts without overthinking. His physical tools are NHL caliber. His confidence needs to catch up.
If Mailloux can give St. Louis 12–14 steady minutes a night, the ripple effect is substantial. The top four stay fresh(er). Special teams usage can be balanced. Montgomery gains flexibility in back-to-back situations. And the Blues, who remain in the thick of a compact Central Division standings race, avoid burning out their anchors early in the year.
Mailloux doesn’t need to be a star for the Blues to improve. He just needs to be solid—and for a team relying heavily on its top defensemen, that solidity might be the difference between staying competitive or slipping behind.