Carlo Still Isn't Cleared, and Training Camp Is Getting Closer

Already wrote about this one last week, but it hasn't gotten better. Brandon Carlo remains out with no clear return timeline, and training camp isn't far off. The Blues traded two third-round picks to Toronto specifically to bring in a steadying presence on the back end — a direct response to a defense that gave up 3.1 goals per game over the final stretch of the season. That plan only works if Carlo is actually on the ice.

The rest of the blue line has its own questions. Justin Faulk and Philip Broberg logged the heaviest minutes last season, and Cam Fowler was a minus-20 over 48 games. That group needed Carlo to come in and absorb real minutes alongside them. If he's limited or absent at camp, the Blues are essentially opening the season with the same defensive core that couldn't hold leads when it mattered.

The forward rebuild has moved quickly — McTavish acquired, McMichael locked up long-term, Robert Thomas still anchoring the middle. The offensive side of this offseason has a shape to it. The defensive side is still waiting on a medical update. That's the imbalance heading into camp, and it's the one worth watching.