In a pair of transactions aimed at shaking up their struggling blue line, the St. Louis Blues recalled defenseman Hunter Skinner from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, while assigning rookie Logan Mailloux to the same club on Sunday morning. The moves come amid a rocky start to the 2025-26 season for the Blues, who sit near the bottom of the Central Division with a 4-9-3 record through 16 games.
General Manager Doug Armstrong described the decision to send down Mailloux as a necessary “reset” to help the 22-year-old regain his confidence and form after a challenging NHL debut. “Obviously the season for the Blues and Logan hasn’t started the way we want it to, and I think it’s important for him to go down and play a number of games to get his game back in order and to unlock his mind,” Armstrong said in comments to The Athletic. “Right now, he’s playing like he’s locked up a little bit, where he’s playing not to make a mistake and you can’t play in the NHL at that level.”
Mailloux, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on July 1, 2025, in exchange for forward Zack Bolduc, entered training camp as a highly touted prospect expected to vie for a top-six role. The 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman, selected 31st overall by Montreal in the 2021 NHL Draft, impressed head coach Jim Montgomery enough to earn a spot on the opening-night roster. However, his transition to the NHL has been bumpy. In nine games with St. Louis this season, Mailloux has zero points, just five shots on goal, and has been on the ice for a lopsided 1-13 goal differential at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick data. He’s posted a minus-7 rating overall, including a minus-4 in an 8-3 drubbing by the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week. Seven of those appearances came as healthy scratches, with the most recent following an overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Armstrong acknowledged the Blues’ own poor play as a contributing factor, noting Mailloux’s pairings with less experienced or underperforming veterans like Tyler Tucker, Cam Fowler, and Philip Broberg haven’t provided the stability needed for a rookie. “We’ve been a pretty poor team,” Armstrong admitted. “He started the year not with a veteran partner, and then with our team not playing well, we didn’t stack the odds in his favor with our play.” To aid Mailloux’s development, the organization even enlisted Hall of Famers Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger for mentorship sessions on handling pressure as a young blueliner in a new city.
The assignment to Springfield is viewed as short-term—potentially just a few games, with the Thunderbirds facing three contests next week and six more before Thanksgiving. “I don’t want to say ‘stress free’ because he’s not going down there to play pond hockey,” Armstrong added. “But going down and just breathing, not having that anxiety every day of ‘my next shift.’” Mailloux’s extensive AHL experience—80 points (26 goals, 54 assists) in 135 career games—should serve him well in this lower-pressure environment, where he can focus on refining his skating, physicality, and overall 200-foot game.
In Mailloux’s place steps Hunter Skinner, a 24-year-old, 6-foot-3 right-shot defenseman who brings a physical edge to the Blues’ backend. Acquired by St. Louis from the New York Rangers on February 9, 2023, as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to Broadway, Skinner signed a two-way contract with the Blues this offseason. After clearing waivers and being assigned to Springfield in early October, he’s suited up for 11 games with the Thunderbirds, who are mired in their own woes at 1-8-2. There, Skinner has tallied two points (one goal, one assist) with four penalty minutes but a minus-6 rating.
Armstrong praised Skinner’s preparation for earning this opportunity. “He had a good training camp, (plays with) a physical edge, and he’s earned the right,” the GM said. Skinner’s career AHL ledger is robust: 58 points (17 goals, 41 assists) and 253 penalty minutes across 214 games, showcasing his penchant for gritty, stay-at-home defense. Originally a fourth-round pick (No. 112) by the Rangers in 2019, Skinner could make his Blues debut as early as Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, providing depth amid injuries and inconsistencies on the back end.
These roster tweaks reflect broader frustrations within the organization. The Blues’ defense has been leaky, allowing the third-most goals in the Western Conference (3.81 per game), and Armstrong didn’t shy away from addressing fan discontent—especially given Bolduc’s hot start in Montreal (four goals, six points in 15 games alongside Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher). “I certainly respect and read and understand the angst of the fans,” Armstrong noted. “But our goal is to do what’s best for [Mailloux] and the organization… You can’t really make your decisions based on public perception.”
As the Blues navigate a marathon season, these moves underscore a commitment to player development over quick fixes. For Mailloux, it’s a chance to recalibrate; for Skinner, it’s an audition to prove he belongs. St. Louis faithful will hope both contribute to turning the tide sooner rather than later.
