The St. Louis Blues are struggling early in the 2025-26 season, prompting questions about their offseason trade of Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for Logan Mailloux. Bolduc, a promising young center, has started strong in Montreal, while Mailloux has struggled in St. Louis. Analysts suggest the Blues should have traded captain Brayden Schenn instead to retain Bolduc's potential.
In the quiet 2025 NHL offseason, the St. Louis Blues made a notable trade, sending forward Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Bolduc, who turned in a solid 2024-25 season with 19 goals and 36 points in 79 games for the Blues, recorded a goals above replacement (GAR) of 14.7 and wins above replacement (WAR) of 2.4, ranking fourth among Blues skaters. At just 22 years old, Bolduc appeared poised for a breakout, yet the Blues dealt him away.
Mailloux, also 22, brought minimal NHL experience despite strong AHL play with the Laval Rocket. Early in the 2025-26 season, however, he has posted zero points in nine games with St. Louis. His advanced metrics are concerning, including an expected GAR (xGAR) of minus-2.6 and GAR of minus-3.7, the worst rates among Blues skaters. Mailloux's expected goals share (xG%) stands at 42.36 percent, third-worst on the team behind Alexandre Texier and Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues have been outscored 13-1 with Mailloux on the ice, though goaltending woes contribute to the team's overall 5-8-2 start.
Meanwhile, Bolduc has adapted well in Montreal, on pace for 23 goals and 35 points in a middle-six or third-line role. To address center depth, the Blues signed Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad in free agency. Suter leads the team with five goals and nine points in 15 games, while Bjugstad has four goals. However, top centers Robert Thomas (eight points in 11 games) and Brayden Schenn (six points in 15 games, xGAR minus-2.1, GAR minus-1.6) have underperformed.
The analysis points to Schenn, the Blues' captain, as a better trade candidate. Rumors linked him to teams like the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs before last season's deadline, and his no-trade clause now covers only 15 teams. With the Blues in win-now mode, retaining Bolduc as a potential second-line center could have bolstered their lineup more effectively than acquiring the developing Mailloux.