St. Louis Sets Its Roster With a Blue Line That Doesn't Quite Add Up

The 23-man deadline is Monday, and the Blues are building their opening roster around a defensive group that has shed bodies faster than it can replace them. Tyler Tucker's knee, flagged in practice last week, remains under evaluation — not day-to-day, per coach Jim Montgomery. Brandon Carlo, brought in from Toronto specifically to add size and experience back there, has no clear return date. Matthew Mayich, the prospect who collapsed in August, remains hospitalized. That's three defensemen who cannot be counted on right now, and the regular season is already underway.

What's left on the blue line is a group that was thin before any of this happened. Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler are the top two in the depth chart. Fowler had a difficult 2026 — he's said publicly he feels he let people down — and has been vocal about wanting to prove more. That's a fine attitude to carry into camp. It doesn't change what the roster looks like on paper heading into the first full week of games.

I've written this angle a few times now because the situation keeps developing. The piece I filed Tuesday noted three casualties in roughly nine days. Nothing has been resolved since. The Blues will set their 23-man group by Monday and the defensive math will be whatever it is — they don't have a lot of room to maneuver it into something better.