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When the Blues traded for Logan Mailloux from Montreal, and determined he would get a chance in the NHL, the blue line was crowded with eight defensemen. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ wants to see Tyler Tucker as an everyday player, and that made Leddy expendable on the left side of the defense.

“It became a numbers game,� Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “One of the things, too, is the coach who selects who goes over the boards is a big Tucker fan. (Jim Montgomery is) a big Tucker fan. He thought that that’s an element that our team, when he’s on the ice, when he’s playing, you were harder to play against. As a group, he likes that. If he was going to take that slot in our six, it made sense to give him that opportunity.�

So Leddy found himself on the way out. Armstrong confirmed that the Blues tried to trade Leddy first, but there were no matches among Leddy’s preferred destinations (he owns a 16-team no-trade list). Thus, Leddy was waived, and San Jose, as the worst team in the NHL last season, had first dibs on claiming Leddy.

With Leddy on the Sharks, the Blues are free from his $4 million cap hit — they basically replaced that money by signing Pius Suter to a two-year contract with a $4.125 million cap hit — and opened a spot for Tucker on the third pairing. Tucker has been a seventh defenseman under previous coaches Craig Berube and Drew Bannister, but played a career-high 38 games last year, all under Montgomery.

“Now, there’s risk involved with that, obviously,� Armstrong said. “Nick’s an experienced player that’s had a very good career. He’ll go to San Jose and do very well, but you have to create space if you want to give ice time away and that was one way to do that.�

Leddy finished with 211 games played as a Blue, with nine goals and 55 assists. For long stretches of his time in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, he was paired with Colton Parayko on the top pair, eating tough minutes and logging plenty of time on the penalty kill. But Cam Fowler took that spot next to Parayko, and Philip Broberg filled the other spot in the top four.

With Leddy’s departure, the Blues continue to transition from a defensive group that has been one of the oldest in the league. As recent as 2023-24, the Blues trotted out Parayko (30), Justin Faulk (31), Torey Krug (32), Leddy (32) and Marco Scandella (33), and each player is two years older now.

Now, the Blues defensive group will still include Faulk (now 33), Fowler (33) and Parayko (32). But it will also feature Mailloux (22), Broberg (24), Tucker (25) and Matthew Kessel (25).

“This is the year of the young defenseman,� Armstrong said. “Young meaning not experienced defenseman on the Blues right now. Tucker is going to get an opportunity to be a full-time player. Mailloux is getting an opportunity to be a full-time player. Kessel is in that group. Broberg just turned 24.�

Armstrong continued on to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ forwards, too. Their time might be next season.

“You look at that forward group, they’re probably a year away when you have (Otto) Stenberg, (Jakub) Stancl, (Juraj) Pekarcik, (Dalibor) Dvorsky all at 20 all turning pro,� Armstrong said. “We’re going to let them have the opportunity to get their foundation and footing under them. Now if they come in and take a job, great. But I would say next year at this time, there’s going to a be great opportunity to input a lot of younger forwards.

“I do believe that getting that foundation is so important for the player and the organization than force-feeding them into an area that maybe they can’t have success. I think we protected ourselves from having to do that, while allowing them the right to come in and take a job.�

Armstrong elaborated that the additions of Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad could allow the Blues to begin a prospect like Dvorsky (No. 10 pick in 2023) on the wing, where the defensive responsibility is lessened. It’s an introduction to the NHL that would mirror Robert Thomas’ rookie season in 2018-19.

“If he’s having trouble in the middle of the ice, he can start on our team on the wing,� Armstrong said. “We don’t have to force feed him into an area. Over time, he’ll take over one of those jobs. There’s going to be great competition. He certainly has the opportunity to come in and make our team.�