The St. Louis Blues are going to be going through a transition this offseason. With General Manager Doug Armstrong stepping down after 14 seasons, it will be former Blues forward Alexander Steen taking the reins on July 1.
Across the National Hockey League, various teams have decided to move in differnent directions with their highest member in the front office. The Buffalo Sabres did so in the middle of the 2025-26 season, as Kevyn Adams was let go and Jarmo Kekalainen stepped in to give them their first playoff berth in 14 seasons.
Over in that part of upper New York State, and across the Rainbow Bridge into Toronto, the Maple Leafs are also going through a GM change. Brad Treliving wa let go at the end of March and now former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka takes on the role.
What followed at the introductory press conference could not have been written better if it had been in a soap opera. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun had a fiery set of questions in the press conference with Chayka, new Senior Executive Adviser of Hockey Operations Mats Sundin and MLSE President Keith Pelley.
Take a look at this.
Steve Simmons goes at Keith Pelley for hiring John Chayka. This was something. pic.twitter.com/zSw8768sCQ
— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) May 4, 2026
With the Blues also going through a new shift in leadership, following some lackluster seasons following the 2019 Stanley Cup victory, fans should be relieved that it did not go down like this. Your first unofficial day, and a pretty big reporter is lining you up for yout new fanbase to question every motive you have from now until October.
Yikes.
The change from Armstrong to Steen is a smooth and drama-free decision. Armstrong is heading toward a new change, and Steen is a young mind that has been in the Blues organzation since he was donning the Blue Note on his chest. It was the best decision, and one that did not have any strings attached to it.
It is unclear how the Maple Leafs will fare with their new head man, but things are off to a rocky start. For the Blues, it is similarly as unknown how things will play out this summer, but it will not leave fans bewildered and uneasy about the switch-up.
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