ST. LOUIS — For the first time since 2009, the St. Louis Blues will have a different general manager calling the shots this summer.
Doug Armstrong’s 16-year run as the Blues GM will come to an end July 1, when Alexander Steen will replace him in a plan that has been in place since June 2024.
The transition will come after the club missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. What was a two-track plan of trying to be competitive and retool on the fly now seems more focused on the future.
Headlines are likely. Trades are expected. Roster evolution is inevitable.
For 15 years, however, it was Armstrong calling the shots. Few of his moves were ever predictable (see: trading for Justin Faulk and offer-sheet signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg). But now with Steen soon to be in charge, the situation is even less predictable. He’s been involved in management for less than two years.
What are his thoughts on the Blues’ roster? What’s his style? How aggressive or patient will he be? We don’t know because having not taken over the position yet, he hasn’t spoken publicly in those terms.
We do know one thing, though: the team’s needs will remain the same.
Here are the top 10 offseason priorities for the Blues:
1. Re-sign Holloway to extension
In early February, Holloway was out with a high-ankle sprain. At the time, he had played in just 34 of the Blues’ 57 games and had eight goals and 17 points.
Needing a contract this summer, Holloway was likely in line for a short-term contract extension because of his health, which included a torn oblique last season. The idea of signing him to a long-term deal seemed like a bit of a risk.
There’s no reason to overthink that anymore.
Holloway returned to the lineup after the Olympic break, and in 25 games, he’s posted 14 goals and 34 points. Not only do those numbers lead the Blues, his goals are tied for the 11th (and points for seventh) in the NHL over that span.
There’s no guarantee Holloway can stay healthy, but that’s the case with any player. When he’s on the ice, the 24-year-old is one of the most dynamic young forwards the Blues have had in a while.
Holloway will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights July 1, and he’ll get a raise from his $2.3 million cap hit. The question is whether the two sides would be comfortable with an eight-year deal before the league’s new collective bargaining agreement kicks in on Sept. 16. That CBA will limit teams to a seven-year maximum when teams are re-signing their own players.
2. Trade Thomas — or not?
Last July, the full no-trade clauses for Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou kicked in, giving both players complete power to nix a trade to any team. There was great consternation about what that could mean for Kyrou’s future with the club, but little conversation about Thomas.
That’s because it didn’t seem plausible the Blues would consider moving their No. 1 center.
There may not have been trade talks involving Thomas at that that time, but there were before NHL trade deadline March 6. The Blues spoke with the Buffalo Sabres about a potential deal, according to league sources, but that hit a snag. The sources believed a Thomas trade could be rekindled in the offseason, and that could prove true. But what now, after his performance since all that talk the week of the deadline?
In 23 games since his return from injury, Thomas has 14 goals and 31 points, and at five-on-five, he’s been on the ice for 43 goals for and 11 against. He’s anchoring the top line with Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud, who have been been producing as well, and it begs the question of what they would be next season without Thomas?
In the Blues’ 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, they trailed 3-1 after the first period. At that point, coach Jim Montgomery gave the floor to Thomas in the locker room during the intermission to get the team back on track. He did, and the Blues scored five unanswered goals on their way to a win.
Between Thomas’ production and presence, the club may be witnessing more evidence that leads to keeping him.
3. Find a trade fit for Kyrou
With three 30-plus goals and three 70-point seasons on his resume, Jordan Kyrou failed to get to 20 goals and 50 points this season. In 72 games, he had 18 goals and 47 points.
But what’s more alarming is that while the Blues’ top line surged down the stretch, Kyrou fell off significantly. He had 32 points in 47 games (.68 points per game) before the Olympic break and just 14 points in 25 games after break (.56 per game). In those 25 games, he netted just five goals, including one on the power play and two empty-netters.
Kyrou wasn’t the only culprit, as team scoring was scant for everyone except Holloway, Thomas and Snuggerud. But as the Blues’ leading scorer the past three seasons, Kyrou could’ve given the team a more formidable second line and he came up well short.
A change of scenery may be best for the Blues and Kyrou, but where and for what in return? He has five more seasons left on his contract with an $8.13 million AAV, and that may be attractive for a forward who has flirted with 40 goals. But not when he’s coming off a season in which he dipped below 20 and the Blues are looking for a return that’s perhaps more than other teams are willing to pay.
4. Explore moving Buchnevich
When Pavel Buchnevich signed a six-year, $48 million ($8 million AAV) contract extension in 2024, there was hope that with Montgomery back on the bench he could return to his 2021-22 form. That season, with Montgomery as an assistant coach, Buchnevich scored a career-high 30 goals.
There was a lot of concern, though, because Buchnevich was 29 years old when he signed the extension, and with one year left on his last deal, six more years would take him to 36.
Now the contract looks like a bigger burden than even some skeptics anticipated. He ended the season with 20 goals, failing to finish on many golden scoring opportunities. He also played a lot at center and his 48 points were down nine from 2024-25.
But moving Buchnevich may be impossible. His precipitous drop in offense the past five seasons, and the fact he’ll be 31 with five seasons left on his contract, may be a deterrent. Steen will have to explore the market, and if there’s a team that expresses interest, the new GM may have to add a sweetener to go along with that contract.
Pavel Buchnevich didn’t hit the heights he or the Blues were hoping for this season. (Elsa / Getty Images)
5. Figure out the bottom-six forwards
The Blues’ third and fourth lines were a game of musical chairs down the stretch.
Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, Jonathan Drouin, Jonatan Berggren, Otto Stenberg, Alexey Toropchenko, Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley all played in the bottom six, and even Buchnevich and Pius Suter took turns there.
Depending on who’s playing in the top six, a third line of Stenberg, Dvorsky and Berggren could be solid. Meanwhile, the Blues need to create an identity on the fourth line. Toropchenko and Walker have two more seasons left on their contracts, so they’ll be in the conversation. Sundqvist will become an unrestricted free agent and may likely move on. Will Finley, who also has two seasons left on his deal, be his replacement?
It’s understandable why Montgomery was moving players around in the bottom six because the coach wanted to see what he had for next season. But it would behoove the Blues if Steen had a good idea of who might occupy those spots when they return for training camp.
6. Add much-needed toughness
While Steen is figuring out that fourth line, some more muscle would be nice. The Blues attempted to sign Milan Lucic last season, and it was the correct call not to sign the 37-year-old.
But the Blues need to keep looking. They don’t have anyone in the lineup who opponents might be threatened by. There’s Tyler Tucker, but he’s not always in the lineup. Plus, the need goes behind having somebody drop the gloves — the Blues don’t have many hard-hitting players on the roster.
7. Circle back with Parayko on NTC
One of the top headlines of the season was the Blues completing a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Colton Parayko and Parayko using his full no-trade clause to nix the deal.
Parayko stuck around and became a terrific partner for rookie Theo Lindstein, as the pair played about 225 five-on-five minutes together and outscored opponents 10-4. But despite Parayko’s ability to mentor the 21-year-old, it’s likely the Blues would circle back about a trade if they found something similar to the package they were reportedly receiving in the deal with the Sabres.
8. Bring in defensive depth
If the top two defensive pairs to open next season are Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux and Lindstein-Parayko, that leaves Tucker, Cam Fowler and Matthew Kessel as options in the top seven. If 2024 first-round draft pick Adam Jiricek is ready for the NHL, he could be in the mix, too, but he’s just 19 years old.
Late this season, Fowler finally started to look similar to the player the Blues saw in 2024-25, so perhaps he can continue to trend that way. Tucker and Kessel, however, struggled to find some consistency, requiring the club to bring in veteran Justin Holl for more stability. There’s little help available in AHL Springfield, so some shopping may be necessary.
9. Chat with Binnington about the future
Goalie Jordan Binnington has one more season left on his contract ($6 million AAV), so there’s a chance he could be back in 2026-27. But as we know, he’s a competitor and may want to play a larger role somewhere else next season.
If Binnington indicates as much to the Blues, Steen could oblige. But if the team doesn’t have a better option to back up Joel Hofer, the GM may not be able to accommodate the wishes of the franchise leader in wins and games played. The situation will require some good, old-fashioned communication.
10. Address Montgomery’s coaching staff
Montgomery, who signed a five-year contract when he returned to St. Louis, will be back in 2026-27 for his second full season behind the bench. But will any of his assistant coaches be back with him?
With Steen already making changes at the management level at AHL Springfield, it’s possible he and Montgomery make moves with the NHL coaching staff as well. Claude Julien and Mike Weber might be on the way out, while goalie coach Dave Alexander could be kept around.
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