MARYLAND HEIGHTS — St. Louis Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux will start the season on injured reserve and be re-evaluated in eight weeks after having a procedure Sunday on his right hand, general manager Alexander Steen announced Monday. The injury comes after a strong training camp and a first-period fight with Cole Smith in a 3-2 preseason loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, with fellow defenseman Tyler Tucker also opening the season on IR week-to-week with a right knee injury that will require a second opinion.
Mailloux jumped in to confront Smith after the Blackhawks forward clipped Philip Broberg near his knee, a play initially called a tripping minor before the two scrapped. "Very good. He's had a great camp," Steen said of Mailloux. "That's the game. These things pop up when things are going good, and it's not the right timing, but this is part of the game. Logan is in a good head space. Everything went well (with the surgery). Now his main goal is to rehab and to get himself as prepared as he was for camp for when he's able to return and at that time grab an oar and start rowing with the boys again."
Mailloux had been penciled in to begin the season paired with Broberg on the top pair after the duo took off to end last season. "I think he looked great," Broberg said. "He was moving his feet, passing the puck well, shooting it. He was looking very good, so it's unfortunate. He's got to work his way back and get back as quick as he can." Blues coach Jim Montgomery called it "a pretty significant loss just because he was playing so aggressively, trusting his instincts, taking away time and space, impacting the game at both ends of the ice," noting Mailloux finished last season with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 67 games. Broberg added: "I jumped out of the way, I saw (Smith) coming. He just got a piece of me. It's hockey. It happens. I appreciate (Mailloux) sticking up for me. Unfortunately, the fight went as it went and just go from there."
St. Louis recalled Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators to help fill the void. Steen said the club feels it has options for a seamless transition. The Blues also announced defenseman Rosen and goalie Romanov cleared waivers Monday afternoon and were assigned to Springfield in the AHL.