Is Blues' Logan Mailloux Entering Make-Or-Break Territory?

The St. Louis Blues made a surprise one-for-one trade last off-season, acquiring defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Zachary Bolduc.Bolduc was coming off a strong first full season in the NHL, notching 19 goals and 36 points in a bottom-six role. He also showed he could be a physical presence, throwing 108 hits.Despite that, the Blues felt they needed another young defenseman, taking the risk of trading Bolduc for Mailloux.Mailloux had played just eight NHL games with the Canadiens, so moving a now solidified NHL winger for a defenseman still playing in the AHL was a head-scratcher for some. But the Blues felt that what they'd seen from Mailloux in the AHL was enough to earn an opportunity in the NHL, and moving Bolduc, a position they have an abundance of prospects and NHL-ready players in, was worth the risk.It didn't start on a positive note. Mailloux struggled greatly, looking out of place, while Bolduc started his Canadiens tenure on fire.But as the season went along, Bolduc cooled off, and Mailloux acclimated to the NHL.In the end, Bolduc finished his first season with 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games, while Mailloux recorded five goals and 13 points in 67 games.But the point totals weren’t important to the Blues; it was how he defended. Mailloux slowly improved, and after a stint in the AHL, his confidence grew. His play improved to the point where coach Jim Montgomery placed Mailloux alongside Philip Broberg on the top pair.Is Logan Mailloux Starting To Figure It Out? Sure Looks Like It Is Logan Mailloux Starting To Figure It Out? Sure Looks Like It String of solid outings for St. Louis Blues defenseman a terrific sample size of why they acquired a young blueliner for promising young forward from Canadiens, has stepped in nicely for injured Colton Parayko Following the Olympic break, Mailloux averaged 21:41 of ice time, the second most on the team. He was a plus-12 and recorded four goals and 10 points in 24 games.Like most of the Blues roster last season, it was a tale of two halves. The first half was dreadful, at times hard to watch, while the second half was a pleasure, as the game looked natural.Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, Mailloux's goal is to play consistently and perform as he did in the final third of the season. Most roster projections have Mailloux penciled in as Broberg's partner, and that role is Mailloux's to lock down.The Blues gave Mailloux a one-year contract, asking him to prove that he is capable of handling top-pairing or top-four minutes. It might not be make-or-break time for Mailloux just yet, but that time could be approaching if Mailloux falters under the pressure.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.