This season, the St. Louis Blues have never really struggled offensively, despite injuries to Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours in October and November – and they have since returned to the lineup.
That said, the team has been inconsistent defensively, and if they expect to be in playoff contention before the March 6 trade deadline, their blue line has to improve. This demands a change in the DNA of the Blues’ defensive core. It wasn’t expected when the season started, but here’s how they should go about making these changes.
Trade Justin Faulk
After celebrating his 1,000th NHL game on Nov. 18 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Justin Faulk could be traded, according to hockey insider Nick Kypreos in his Nov. 25 article.
Rightly so. Faulk hasn’t declined in his performance, even at 33. This season, he has 13 points through 26 games, which should pique many teams’ interest ahead of the trade deadline. He has a modified no-trade clause (M-NTC), meaning he has given management a 15-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia. Still, Blues GM Doug Armstrong should try to find the right deal to open up space for rising prospects like Theo Lindstein or Adam Jiricek to make their NHL debut.
They have veterans Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler who can mentor the rookies in Faulk’s absence and let these young blueliners show what they can bring to the roster during a period of struggle.
Blues’ Young Defensemen Need to Make an Appearance
Right now, as the team tries to win games, any injection of youth would help. Jiricek has developed a strong game with the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), playing a more two-way style. He has 26 points in 23 games this season, a big step up from his 12 points in 27 games in 2024-25.