The Blues are heading into opening night with a reshaped roster, two key defensemen sidelined, and a fresh look in both the lineup and the coaching staff.
Logan Mailloux and Tyler Tucker will begin the season on injured reserve, forcing St. Louis to adjust before it even gets to Friday’s opener in Dallas.
Mailloux, who was expected to handle a major top-four role and possibly skate with Philip Broberg, had successful surgery on his right hand and will be re-evaluated in about eight weeks. He injured the hand in the first period of Saturday’s preseason finale against Chicago after fighting Cole Smith, who had tripped Broberg.
Tucker’s situation is a little different, but the result is the same for the Blues: he’s out. He underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Tucker had previously been listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Those injuries opened the door for a pair of roster moves. St.
Louis claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators and recalled Adam Jiricek from the Springfield Thunderbirds. Jiricek, a 2024 first-round pick taken 16th overall by the Blues, is set to make his NHL debut Friday in Dallas.
Barron arrives with 52 points and more than 200 games of NHL experience.
To clear space, the Blues finished their roster cuts by assigning goaltender Georgii Romanov and defenseman Calle Rosen to Springfield after both cleared waivers.
The forward group also took shape. Zach Dean and Dillon Dube earned the final spots up front.
Dean, acquired in the 2023 trade of Ivan Barbashev, is making the Blues roster for the first time. Dube signed a one-year deal after helping Springfield’s playoff push with five goals and eight points in 12 games.
With Dean and Dube in, Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, and Jack Finley were placed on waivers and cleared, sending them to Springfield.
St. Louis’ 23-man roster for Friday’s game in Dallas includes 14 forwards: Jonatan Berggren, Pavel Buchnevich, Zach Dean, Dilln Dube, Dalibor Dvorsky, Dylan Holloway, Ross Johnston, Connor McMichael, Mason McTavish, Jake Neighbours, Jimmy Snuggerud, Pius Suter, Robert Thomas, and Alexey Toropchenko.
The seven defensemen are Justin Barron, Philip Broberg, Brandon Carlo, Cam Fowler, Adam Jiricek, Theo Lindstein, and Coltron Parayko. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer are the goaltenders, while Mailloux and Tucker are on injured reserve.
The roster also comes with a new look behind the bench and a new captain in Robert Thomas. The Blues open with a three-game road trip, starting in Dallas on Friday, then Colorado on Saturday and Chicago on Tuesday, before returning home for the opener against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 8.
In Other News...
Blues Suddenly Linked To A Trade Scenario They Cant Ignore
With the trade market beginning to stir, the Blues have suddenly found themselves tied to a larger goalie deal that could ripple across the league. According to Elliotte Friedman, Carolina is the most motivated suitor for Winnipegs Connor Hellebuyck, and the path being discussed is not a simple one. The framework would send young defenseman Alexander Nikishin out of Carolina, with St. Louis among the teams involved, and the Blues have already shown interest in the 22-year-old after he requested a move.
For St. Louis, the fit is easy to understand. The organization has been looking for more help on the back end, and the timing matters with Logan Mailloux sidelined for at least eight weeks after hand surgery. Any three-team arrangement would have to line up cleanly for all sides, and there is no official agreement in place yet, but the Blues are now squarely in a scenario worth watching if Carolina keeps pushing to land Hellebuyck. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Jiricek Just Landed A Huge Blues Opportunity
Adam Jiricek is suddenly in position to get a real look with the Blues, and the timing is hard to ignore. The Czech defenseman taken 16th overall has spent the past two seasons making noticeable strides in both ends of the game, showing more confidence in junior and AHL action as he continues to round into form. After a preseason that put him on the radar, he now finds himself with a path to the opening of the 2026-27 NHL season sooner than anyone might have expected.
For St. Louis, the appeal is less about instant offense than about whether Jiricek can look calm and dependable against NHL pace. He has built his case by becoming more complete, and this early opportunity should give the Blues a better read on how far that development has come. The real question is not whether he can flash skill, but how well he can settle in when the games start counting and the margin for error gets thin. [Read more 🡒]