The 2025-26 season has come to a close for the St. Louis Blues, and General Manager Doug Armstrong held his exit interview today. Select players and head coach Jim Montgomery shared their thoughts on just about everything pertaining to the season.
Armstrong had a strong soundbite on the underwhelming season, and it should resonate with just about every Blues fan. Let's take a listen.
Doug Armstrong provided his overall thoughts on the season. #stlblues @101espn pic.twitter.com/99GCPIHEcL
— Alex Ferrario (@Ferrario101ESPN) April 18, 2026
"I thought we'd be a better team."
That is 100% right. The Blues fell victim to a bit of an identity crisis in 2025-26, and that became apparent right out of the gate with a 5-0 loss to Minnesota. After the 12-game win streak, giving the Blues their rightful playoff berth, and then taking the Winnipeg Jets to game seven in the first round, they looked like a contender.
But, as it was stated above, a 5-0 beatdown from the Wild was an eye-opening revelation. This team was not good; they were lucky.
The 2025-26 season can be described as a disappointment, but there is some hope. The Blues are in a position now that they can use this offseason, and likely next season, to retool this roster. Youth pieces like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, the much-anticipated arrival of Justin Carbonneau, and Philip Broberg is going to be the next core group.
But, they are not fully developed to lead this team by themselves. They are not skilled and experienced enough to carry this Blues team to that Stanley Cup contender status. One they will be, but that won't be until after the 2026-27 season.
Armstrong will hand over the keys to Alexander Steen on July 1. One more draft remains for the 16-year Blues boss, and then a new regime takes over. It might not have ended the way he wanted, but he did not leave this franchise in a free-fall. There is hope, and now it is on Steen to prove how good this team really is, not what we think they are.
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