It was an eventful summer for the front office of the St. Louis Blues. They made some big trades that will, hopefully, shore up the center depth and replace the absence of Jordan Kyrou. The Blues went into the draft with a boatload of picks and came away with a few prospects that could contribute to the team when it's aiming to be a Stanley Cup contender.
The big headline, though, was the power transfer at the very top. Long-time general manager Doug Armstrong stepped aside, and Alex Stein took the reins after years of buildup. At first glance, the transition has appeared fairly seamless--but some confidence in the franchise's overall direction is waning after a lousy 2025-26 season, according to a new fan survey from The Athletic.
A middle-of-the-pack ranking
The Blues come in at number 14 in this year's fan front office ranking. As is often the case, the fanbase is more confident in the organization's direction than the public. Fans are also notably higher than the general public on the Blues' roster building, vision, and ability to draft and develop prospects.
Conversely, Blues fans are lower on the team's success in free agency than the general public. A few misfires on summer signings and extensions are likely to blame (more on that below). Overall, however, fans and the public seem generally in line with each other, netting the Blues a B-minus grade when all is said and done.
The slip
The unspoken issue, however, is the slide down the rankings. Last summer, after narrowly losing to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs, Blues fans were more positive: the front office was ranked 10th in the NHL. They fell four spots this year.
One bad year doesn't make or break a franchise--it's a string of bad years or nonsensical decisions that don't conform to the vision management has laid out. The Blues have enough talent to be on the playoff bubble this season, but the ultimate ceiling of this team is a bit of a mystery. Questionable contract extensions and a baffling contract for Ross Johnston don't paint a clear picture of where Steen & Co. are trying to get to.
The Blues need more needle movers to be taken seriously as a contender in a top-heavy Central Division. If Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael excel in St. Louis, that raises the ceiling of the team considerably--but a weak blue line could sink the season.
It'll be interesting to see where the Blues' front office falls on next year's summer survey. Winning often cures all, but whether the Blues, as constructed, are good enough to do that remains in question.
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