St. Louis Blues News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Philip Broberg, St. Louis Blues (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Doug Armstrong’s New Vision for the St. Louis Blues’ Blue Line

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Josh Berg | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The St. Louis Blues have gone through numerous looks on the blue line since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2019. After letting captain Alex Pietrangelo walk in free agency to the Vegas Golden Knights over trade protection in his contract, general manager Doug Armstrong was given the task of rebuilding the team’s defense core to continue contending for a championship.

During the 2020 offseason, Armstrong brought in veterans Justin Faulk and Torey Krug to help fill the void Pietrangelo left when he departed. Armstrong and the Blues front office believed that adding veterans Faulk and Krug would complement emerging top-pairing defenseman Colton Parayko as the team looked to make it back to the Stanley Cup. Fast-forward five seasons, and Armstrong is once again having to reshape the foundation of the defense after another season in which the back end faltered in the playoffs.

Cam Fowler and Philip Broberg Additions

When the news broke that Krug was going to miss the entirety of the 2024-25 season due to an ankle injury, the Blues were left at a crossroads on their blue line. While Krug had not performed quite like a top-pairing defenseman for the Blues since signing with the team in the 2020 offseason, he had become a valuable piece to the top four, logging over 20 minutes a night, and was the primary quarterback of the Blues’ power play.

The internal options to replace Krug’s production were not ready to fill a top-four spot on defense. Veteran Nick Leddy, who had seen top-four minutes for the Blues in the past, was not the point producer Krug was, and also not as physical defensively. While younger players like Matthew Kessel and Tyler Tucker were more suited for a bottom-pairing shutdown role. Armstrong had to make some moves, and he got aggressive in the market.

The first of two major moves saw Armstrong send a pair of offer sheets to two young Edmonton Oilers prospects, including defenseman Philip Broberg. At just 22 years old, Broberg impressed many during the Oilers’ playoff run during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but salary cap restraints prevented Edmonton from retaining him. Even after adding Broberg, Armstrong and the Blues front office were not done retooling their back end. After a slow start, the Blues made a coaching change in November, hiring Jim Montgomery to replace Drew Bannister, and then made arguably the most significant trade of the NHL season, acquiring Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2027 second-round pick and an American Hockey League (AHL) prospect.

Fowler became an instant success for the Blues, slotting in next to Parayko and leading the top power-play unit for the team. Both Broberg and Fowler were significant contributors to the Blues and helped Armstrong reshape the team’s vision for the blue line. Broberg totaled 29 points in 68 games while averaging a career high 20 minutes a game, all while battling through nagging injuries all season. As for Fowler, he totaled 36 points in 51 games with St. Louis and led the Blues with 10 points in their playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Logan Mailloux Trade and Nick Leddy Waived

With a top four of Fowler, Parayko, Broberg, and Justin Faulk, the Blues seemed to be set for the immediate future on defense, but Armstrong decided the team needed some more help and once again retooled his defense this summer. With an abundance of skilled forwards, Armstrong chose to turn weakness into strength by trading away first-round pick Zachary Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Mailloux, a 2021 first-round pick, was identified by Armstrong due to his size, speed, and skating ability. The Blues also lack depth on the right side of their defense in their prospect pool outside of 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek, while the left side is full of potential NHL-caliber defenseman, like Theo Lindstein and Colin Ralph. Mailloux added a top-tier player at a position of need for the Blues.

With the addition of Mailloux, the Blues were left with eight NHL-caliber defensemen on their roster and needed to make a move to get down to the sweet spot of seven defensemen. With both Tucker and Kessel, young players the Blues like for their future, ineligible to go down to the AHL without going through waivers, the Blues began to shop Leddy in trades with teams not on his 16-team no-trade list. However, nothing between the Blues and another team materialized, so they opted to waive Leddy, hoping a team would claim him and take his contract off the books for the 2025-26 season.

The San Jose Sharks ultimately claimed Leddy, and the Blues were freed from his contract, creating a roster spot for Mailloux on opening night. Armstrong believed Mailloux would have a chance to crack the top four of the defense this season for the Blues and be a potential long-term partner next to Broberg.

With the addition of Mailloux and the loss of Leddy, the defensive pairings for the Blues appear to be complete, with Fowler and Parayko on the top pairing, followed by Broberg and Faulk on the second pair, and Tucker slotted next to Mailloux on the third pair, until Mailloux is ready to slide up next to Broberg.

2025 Season Outlook

Barring any significant changes to the Blues’ defense core, like a Bowen Byram trade or a move involving Faulk, the Blues’ blue line appears to be set for the upcoming season. On paper, the group has more depth, youth, and upside than the opening night depth chart of previous seasons, and a full season of Fowler will help point production for the duration of the season. While changes could still be to come with Fowler in the final year of his contract without an extension in place, and Lindstein getting closer and closer to an NHL debut, the Blues have defense options they have not had in several seasons.

If Mailloux can develop into the top four defenseman the Blues believe he is capable of, and Broberg can continue the trajectory he began last season, the group that once was viewed as a hindrance on the franchise will have been turned into a significant asset and strength because of the moves Armstrong made in just one calendar year.