St. Louis Blues Roster Move
In a significant roster move, the St. Louis Blues have put veteran blueliner Nick Leddy on waivers as of Wednesday. The 34-year-old, who inked a four-year, $16 million contract with the team back in 2022, has a season remaining on that deal. The organization will receive clarity on Thursday afternoon regarding whether any team has claimed him off waivers.
Acquisition of Logan Mailloux
This decision comes on the heels of the Blues’ acquisition of defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens earlier on the same day. With this addition, the Blues now have eight defensemen vying for spots on their NHL lineup. General Manager Doug Armstrong confirmed that Mailloux would be positioned within the team’s top six defensemen, contingent upon his performance during training camp.
Competition for Defenseman Spots
With that in mind, the competition for the remaining spots becomes fierce, pitting Leddy against Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel for one starting role, while another position will likely go to the seventh defenseman. Given the team’s preferences, Tucker appears to be the front-runner, making Leddy the player at risk of being pushed out.
Leddy’s Performance and Future
Leddy’s situation has been complicated by his performance last season, where he was limited to just 31 games due to an undisclosed injury, managing to score only two goals and a total of five points when healthy. Although Leddy retains good skating ability, he is now in a competition with younger players offering similar skills but with added physicality, like Mailloux and Tucker.
Next Steps for the Blues
If Leddy passes through waivers unclaimed, the Blues have yet to reveal their next steps. The placement suggests that they might have already sought to trade him without success. This scenario echoes last year’s experience with Brandon Saad, who similarly cleared waivers and was subsequently assigned to the AHL before both parties agreed to terminate his contract, leading Saad to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights.
