St. Louis Blues shouldn’t have let bolduc to the Canadiens – Hockey Writers – st Louis Blues
Much to his dismay, the NHL Offso did not have any work for Blockbuster. There were a few hikes, but generally it was a smart summer thing to do. However, there were interesting facts, especially St. Louis Blues Trading ZACKIC BOLDRUC TO Montain Canadiens for Logan Mailloux.
Courage had a solid 2024-25 season with the Blues, scoring 19 goals and 36 points in 79 games. On the other hand, Mailloux had little NHL experience, although he had been doing well in the AHL with the laval rocket. Even then, it was a curious trade for the Blues, and they also struggled with the gate, a trade that already looks very doubtful to start this season.
Mailloux fights back early
The Blues had an interesting offseason, despite general manager Doug Armstrong’s lackluster performance. They clearly show the institution as a place of weakness. It started with a bold trade to the Canadiens and put him in position to sign Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad in free agency. Suter was coming off a career, so it would seem that adding both was a bold improvement, but how much of an improvement was there?
BOlduc was one of the most important ‘players’ of the last season. His overall game was worth above goals in position (Gar) at 14.7 and above wins (war) of 2.4. Both of these numbers rank in the fourth among all blues skaters, and remember, he’s only 22 years old and doesn’t turn 23 until February. He looks like a young player on the rise, which is why it’s surprising the Blues sell him. You don’t see a promising player like boltic face it all very often.
BOlduc is off to a good start with the Canadiens, as he is currently averaging 23 points and 35 points while playing the role of center six / line six / literally. But it has been difficult for Mailloux, who has no points in nine games with the blues, and his results are concerning.
It’s early in the 2025-26 season, so you’ll get some quirky advanced stats until you get 20-25 games in, but Mailloux’s numbers aren’t perfect. He has an expected gar (xgar) of minus-2.6 and a garment of minus-3.7, which is the two worst and worst among blue skaters.
Gar and Xgar need more than 10-15 games to stabilize, but even then Mailloux’s expected goal numbers are worrying. His expected goals share (xg%) at 42.36 percent is the third worst among blue skaters; Alexandre Texier and Oskar Sundqvist were miserable.
The Blues were also outscored 13-1 with Mailloux on the ice, but it would be unfair to place the blame solely on Him. The Blues’ Goaltenders have not been able to stop the beach ball this season. Still, Mailloux has struggled, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. That doesn’t mean he won’t come out later. He’s 22 and still growing, but that makes the trade all the more curious.
More often than not, the blues are in WIN-NOW mode, so why trade a bold, proven NHL player, for someone who has a contract to contribute in the short term? BOLDUC could be their second facility, and will likely improve upon what they have found in the area so far.
The Blues should trade Schenn instead
It’s easy to look back at the offseason and say the Blues should have done this or that. Surprisingly, Suter is the team’s leading scorer, with five goals and nine points in 15 games. That probably says more about the team’s problems than anything else, but he played well. So Bjugstad, who has four goals in 15 games.
They were not a problem. Instead, it’s their top-six centers that are struggling. Robert Thomas has eight points in 11 games, quite a bit by his standards, but the cheap Schenn did not produce at the level he needs from the center he needs.
Schenn has just six points in 15 games, and his bottom line metrics have been poor, to say the least. He has an Xgar of minus-2.1 and a blanket of minus-1.6. Team save percentage will affect that metric to some degree, but he’s been in denial for a few years. He finished last season with an Xgar of minus-2.1, and the sea feet are not that.
Schenn is the captain of the blues, so it’s not as simple as “Wow, just sell that player.” But his name was on the min meter with the final deadline. He appeared on the Trade Board of Nick KyPressoos of Sportnet a week before the deadline, and teams like Deving New Jersey maple leaves Jersey Maple leaves are interested in Veteran center.
Armstrong has made bold moves in the past, so trading the team’s captain is likely to please some. It seems like it’s something he might consider again since the blues are 5-8-2 and looking to set things up. Frank Seravalli reported earlier this week to keep an eye on Schenn, as his inexpensive clause has evolved into full NTC teams up to 15 teams this summer.
Maybe Armstrong regrets it now, but he should have dealt with Schenn either at the trade deadline of the previous season or during the offseason to get BULDUC. Both of these players are at different points in their careers. Schenn is on the back nine, while Bolduc is just getting started and has a bright future ahead.
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The BOLDUC trade is not the only situation the Blues are fighting to start the 2025-26 campaign, but they could use the 22-year-old center for not being there behind Thomas. Maybe mailloux went out and became a top-four defender at the time, but this was a curious trade at the time, and the first return suggests that there should have been doubts. Without a long-term solution like 2C for the time being, the blues may regret this for a while.
Advanced statistics from Stat Trick, Hockey Evolution
