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.
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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.
So, why is Jiricek worth the Blues making a push with? Well, they are at the bottom of the Central Division, and they need more right-handed defensemen. Also, if the Blues decide to move Faulk at the deadline, they have a backup option in Jiricek, who also happens to be a right-handed defenseman.
If Jiricek isn’t NHL-ready at 19, the Blues can turn to Theo Lindstein, one of their other top prospect defensemen, who was recently transferred to the AHL to play at the pro level in North America and is only a call-up away from making his NHL debut.
The only issue with Lindstein is that he has four points in 19 games and is a left-shot defenseman. Other than that, he could be added as another puck-moving defenseman to their roster in hopes of fixing their giveaway issues, as they rank in the top five in that category this season.
Blues Must Be Careful
Changing the fabric of the Blues’ defense won’t be easy. Casting off a veteran like Faulk and calling up a few rookies won’t be enough to stabilize the backend. They have to be careful, and Armstrong will have to show restraint on the trade market.
After all, if he is patient, Armstrong could find a more suitable young replacement for Faulk, or at least get some top-notch draft picks to add another solid defenseman for the future — specifically, a right-shot, which they are lacking in their prospect depth.
The end goal should be to fill the holes in their defense now, especially when the Blues rank third in the league in goals against (93), which is not good if they want to be back in playoff contention. There should be no waiting to make such changes, as the season is just two months away from reaching the halfway mark, or else it will be back to the rebuild phase for the Blues.
