The St. Louis Blues have a lot of eyes on them after making a miraculous run toward the playoffs last season. Despite ending in a heart-wrenching game seven loss to the Winnipeg Jets, many believe that it was just a preview of better things to come.
One of the things that helped push the Blues into that playoff contention was the gamble General Manager Doug Armstrong made at the trade deadline. A plethora of teams were calling about Brayden Schenn and others, but Armstrong stayed quiet and kept this team together, as is. He bet on this team to get the job done, and they did.
This offseason, with the 2025 NHL draft and free agency right around the corner, he has to pull off another masterclass performance from a front office standpoint.
How can he do it?
There are really two things that affect this offseason. The Blues hold the 19th pick of the draft, which has resulted in some great picks over the years. And, there is free agency, with a bunch of players that will either help or hurt this franchise.
There are a ton of free agents out there for the taking this offseason. With Mitch Marner and Sam Bennett headlining the class, there are a ton of UFAs and RFAs that could help this franchise win now. But, they will come with a hefty price tag with the salary cap increase this offseason.
Most important person this summer?
There is a toss-up between Armstrong and head coach Jim Montgomery for the most important person of the Blues' offseason.
Montgomery, who took over for Drew Bannister in the beginning-ish part of the 2024-25 season, led this squad from being an average team to a contender in just a couple of months. He now has a full summer to prepare this team, and with how he rallied the troops on the fly last season, Montgomery can really put this team over in 2025-26.
But, there is a slight advantage to Armstrong as being the most important person this summer in the Blues organization. This is his last go-around before handing the keys over, presumably, to Alexander Steen as his contract expires at the end of next season. This is the last chance to bring in any new talent that will make this team even better. All eyes are on him to bring in some new assets.