The St. Louis Blues have experienced many looks on the blue line since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2019. In getting Captain Alex Pietrangelo to trade protection in contracts in free agents, General Manager Doug Armstrong is tasked with continuing to compete for the team’s defensive core.
Related: Bruce Signed Pius Suter to 2-year contract
In the 2020 offseason, Armstrong led veterans Justin Faulk and Torey Krug to help fill the gap he left when he set off. Armstrong and Blues’ front desks think that plus veterans Faulk and Krug will complement emerging top defensive player Colton Parayko as the team hopes to return it to the Stanley Cup. Fast forward five seasons, and Armstrong once again had to reshape the defensive base after another season, faltering in the back end in the playoffs.
Cam Fowler and Philip Broberg added
When news came out that Kruger missed the entire 2024-25 season due to an ankle injury, the Blues were left at the intersection on the blue line. Krug hasn’t performed like Blues’ top defenders since signing with the team in the offseason in 2020, but he’s already a valuable piece of the top four, logging in for over 20 minutes a night and being the main quarterback for the Blues’ powerful game.
The internal choice to replace Kruger’s production is not ready to fill the top four in the defense. Experienced Nick Leddy has seen the first four minutes in the Blues in the past, and he is not Krug’s point of view or defensive. While young players like Matthew Kessel and Tyler Tucker are better suited for the lowest-closed role. Armstrong had to take some action and he became aggressive in the market.
The first of two major moves has sent Armstrong a quote to the prospects of two young Edmonton Oilers, including defenseman Philip Broberg. Broberg impressed many at the age of 22 in the Oilers’ playoff game during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, but the cap limit prevented Edmonton from retaining him. Even with Broberg joining, Armstrong and Bruce front desks did not complete the backend. After a slow start, the Blues made a coaching change in November, hiring Jim Montgomery to replace Drew Bannister, then arguably the most important deal of the NHL season, earning a 2027 second-round second-round draft pick and prospect of the American Hawkekey League from the Anaheim Ducks.
Fowler became the Blues instant success, sweeping and leading the team’s top powerhouse next to Parayko. Both Broberg and Fowler are important contributors to the Blues and helped Armstrong reshape the team’s vision for the Blue Line. Broberg scored a total of 29 points in 68 games, while averaging 20 minutes of career height per game while struggling hard throughout the season. As for Fowler, he scored a total of 36 points in 51 games in St. Louis and led the Blues with 10 points in the playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets.
Logan Mailloux Trade and Nick Leddy give up
With Fowler, Paraiko, Broberg and Justin Fokker’s top four, the Blues seemed to be ready for defense immediately, but Armstrong decided the team needed more help and defended again this summer. Armstrong chose to turn weakness into strength with a wealth of skilled strikers, by trading first-round pick Zachary Bolduc to Montreal Canadaens for defensive player Logan Mailloux. 2021 first-round draft pick Mailloux was identified by Armstrong due to its size, speed and skating ability. The Blues also lack the depth to defend the right side in the prospect pool outside of 2024 first-round draft pick Adam Jiricek, while the left side is filled with potential NHL caliber defenders such as Theo Lindstein and Colin Ralph. Mailloux has added top players in terms of what needs Blues.
With Mailloux added, the Blues left eight NHL caliber defenders on the roster and needed action to reach the best position of seven defenders. In Tucker and Kessel, the young players Blues, as in the future, were not eligible to avoid waivers and unable to lower the AHL, Bruce began shopping in Leddy’s deals while the team was not on his 16 teams’ no trade list. However, there is no realization between Bruce and another team, so they choose to give up Raydy in the hope that one team can claim him and take his contract off the 2025-26 season.
The San Jose Sharks eventually claimed to be Leddy, and Blues broke off the contract and created a roster for Mailloux on opening night. Armstrong believes that Merlocks will have the opportunity to break the top four of the defense for Bruce this season and become a potential long-term partner next to Broberg.
With Mailloux addition and LEDDY loss, Blues’ defensive pairing seems to have been done, with Fowler and Parayko on the top pairing, followed by Broberg and Faulk on the second pair, Tucker on the third pair next to Mailloux until Mailloux can slide next to Broberg.
2025 season prospects
Unless any major changes are made to the Blues’ defensive core, such as Bowen Byram’s trade or a move involving Faulk, the Blues’ blue line appears to be set in the upcoming season. On the surface, the group’s depth, youth and upside room is higher than the opening depth charts of last few seasons, and Fowler’s entire season will contribute to the production throughout the season. Although Fowler still has no extension in the final year of his contract, Fowler can still change, and Linderstein is getting closer to his NHL debut, the Bruce has a defensive option that has not been in several seasons.
If Mailloux can develop into a top four defensive player, then Blues thinks his abilities and Broberg can continue his trajectory that began last season, then the group that was once seen as a barrier to the team will become a significant asset and strength, as Armstrong produced Armstrong in just one calendar year.
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