Defenseman playing 20-plus minutes in 12 straight games, contributing offensively, defensively, playing in multiple roles, gaining confidence by the game
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- We recently did a story on St. Louis Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux on whether we believe the 22-year-old is starting to figure things out at the NHL level.
This was in early March, when it was already kick-started by the Blues’ coaching staff that it appeared that the right-handed D-man was ready to absorb more of a workload and more responsibilities.
On Tuesday in a 3-0 win against the Washington Capitals, it marked 12 straight games in which Mailloux logged 20 or more minutes, picking up 20:51 of ice time.
Remember early in the season when the first-round pick (No. 31) in the 2021 NHL Draft was either a healthy scratch, averaging 12-13 minutes a game, including three games in which he didn’t even play 10 minutes or when he was assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League to find his game and gain some confidence? Seems like ages ago when Montreal Canadiens fans were throwing victory parades in anointing Habs general manager Kent Hughes as GM of the year for fleecing fellow Blues GM Doug Armstrong into giving away Zack Bolduc in the July 1, 2025 trade between the two clubs.
How times have changed:
It’s no coincidence that Mailloux, after a goal and an assist in his first 44 games and a minus-22 has gone to two goals and five assists his past 11 games and a plus-5. He’s playing alongside Philip Broberg in the top four and thriving not only in 5-on-5, but he’s also gaining regular minutes quarterbacking the power play along with being a regular on the penalty kill, which has killed 33 of 38 since the Olympic break, good for an 86.8 percent clip, which ranks third in the NHL.
The Blues are first in goals allowed since Feb. 26 (21) and goals per game (1.62), and yes, goaltending has been a huge strength, but Mailloux is part of the young core that’s thriving with more responsibility and the more he thrives, the more coach Jim Montgomery gives.
“He has shown no signs of tiredness, he has shown no signs of mental fatigue, which has been really impressive with all that ice time and how much we’ve been traveling,” Montgomery said. “This has been the hardest travel schedule we’ve had all year and it’s the more consistent, competitive levels we’ve seen from our group over a month long span.
“(The) guy doesn’t think. It’s just make plays; he’s direct, he’s decisive and you see how fast he plays now, and that’s because there’s no more thinking going on; he’s just being a hockey player. And that’s why you’re seeing his true talents come out.”
This is what Blues and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger said back in October when Blues fans were up in arms as to why Mailloux didn’t come into the Blues organization and start flying around as the second coming of Bobby Orr. It takes patience, and truthfully, coming together this quickly has some in the great north thinking maybe the Canadiens should have been more patient themselves.
“He’s slowly but surely earned it, but also with some of the moves at the deadline has just propelled him into more ice time opportunities to see what he has and he’s flourished,” Montgomery said of Mailloux.
The Belle River, Ontario native surely felt the weight of the world on his shoulders having been traded for a popular first-round pick in 2021 in Bolduc, who Blues fans adored.
And quite contrary to what some felt, the Blues didn’t trade Bolduc because things didn’t work out in St. Louis, they traded him for a necessity they felt they could mold into what he’s currently becoming.
“I feel like confidence has been a big thing for me lately,” Mailloux said. “I feel like I’ve definitely been given a good chance and a good opportunity around here and I’ve been playing with some pretty good players. They definitely help out.
“I’m trying to do well. It’s a different league, but I’m used to ... most of my career I’ve been playing these kinds of minutes. Obviously it took an adjustment in this league, but I think I’m getting a lot of help from D-partners, coaches, stuff like that. It’s been alright.”
That current D-partner is Philip Broberg, who has also been thrust into the limelight by the Blues with top-pair minutes and an opportunity to grow with another young guy that’s earning his stripes.
“He’s been great,” Mailloux said. “He’s a helluva player, helluva skater. He’s fun to play with. He gets us out of trouble in our own end sometimes pretty often, skated the puck out. He’s such a good defender as well. I feel like we do a good job kind of reading off each other.”
Mailloux has been so focused on being responsible defensively, that people forget that his offensive skills is what made him the blue chip prospect, but then he makes the zip pass to Jimmy Snuggerud for a one-timer against the Capitals to remind everyone that his offense is his bread-and-butter.
“Unbelievable,” Snuggerud said. “The position that he’s been put in and the opportunity he’s been given, he’s striking to the top of it all he can do. He’s playing high minutes, he’s making plays, he’s doing the best he possibly can and it’s showing. We’re winning games and I think that’s something you have to learn as a young guy is what to do in those situations, and I’m going through the same things and it’s been great to see that for him.”
Mailloux, whose season-high and career-high 26:56 came March 18 in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames, knows and understands he’s barely scratching the surface, that there’s still so much more untapped potential. But the ground roots have been firmly placed, and he’s just taking things as they come.
“I’m kind of trying to take it a day at a time still,” he said. “I think just looking forward to improving and keep getting better and moving in the right direction.
“Obviously it’s my first full season in the NHL. There’s going to be some growing pains and stuff, but I feel like I’m going to try and do my best to keep trending in the right direction all year. Just come in day by day and try to get a little better. The guys around here have been great for that.”
For the umpteenth time: give it time in each scenario. Each player is developing in his own time, on his own merit. Mailloux struggled early and seems to have found his way to better ground. Bolduc started like a firecracker but has fizzled out as the season has gone along. The ups and downs of a young player are common. No telling what the Canadiens' patience will be with Bolduc. The Blues knew exactly what to do with Mailloux, and that was to be patient, and it seems to be paying off.
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