Doug Armstrong has been the St. Louis Blues general manager since being promoted from director of player personnel in 2010. Armstrong has long been one of the premier and the current longest-tenured general manager in the National Hockey League (NHL). Armstrong has had the honor of being a member of the management group with Canada's Men's team, winning two Olympic Gold Medals and a World Cup of Hockey championship, where he was the team's general manager, and once again will have that honor at the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, before the start of this season, Armstrong and the Blues announced that he would be stepping down as team general manager following the 2025-26 NHL season while staying on as the team's president of hockey operations, and former Blue, Alexander Steen will become the new general manager. Armstrong has built and retooled this team multiple times over the years, and in honor of his 1500 game as the Blues general manager, let us see some of his best transactions over his 14-year tenure.
1. Edmonton Oilers Heist
A more recent move that may be too early to judge fully, but knowing the scrutiny that may have come with signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to an offer sheet, has turned out to be a great decision. Both players look like they could be cornerstone players for the franchise. Broberg came out the gates on fire, registering a point in seven out of his first eight games as a Blue. He has since cooled off since returning from injury, but he has shown the potential he possesses. Holloway, on the other hand, started the season a little slow but has exploded since the team made the decision to relieve Drew Bannister of his duties as head coach and brought in Jim Montgomery to fill that position. Holloway sits third on the team in points and has the potential to hit 30 goals for the first time in his career. The former first-round picks may not have felt welcomed with Edmonton's plans, but Armstrong found them a home in St. Louis.
2. Hiring of Craig Berube
The 2018-19 NHL season saw the team go into the season with Mike Yeo as head coach, who in the previous season helped spark the team following long-time Blues coach Ken Hitchcock to make the playoffs. However, the start of the 2018-19 was very different. As of mid-November, the Blues sat in dead last in the NHL. Figuring that something needed to be changed, Armstrong relieved Yeo of his duties and promoted Craig Berube to interim head coach. The team made a miraculous turnaround, fighting their way into the playoffs and helping the franchise win its first-ever Stanley Cup. Berube finished his Blues career with 206 wins in 382 games and, more importantly, brought a Stanley Cup to St. Louis, something the fans will never forget.
3. Ryan O'Reilly Trade
Before the 2018-19 NHL season, the Blues were trying to improve down the middle. The team signed Tyler Bozak and David Perron in free agency but were looking for a legit first-line centreman. On July 1, 2018, the St. Louis Blues struck a deal with the Buffalo Sabres to acquire Ryan O'Reilly in exchange for long-time Blues Patrick Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, former first-round pick Tage Thompson, a first-round pick in 2019 and a second-round pick in 2021. Tage Thompson was the prize of the trade hull for the Buffalo Sabres, becoming a franchise cornerstone and a legit first-line centreman. However, the objective is to win the Stanley Cup, and in O'Reilly's first season in St. Louis, he achieved the ultimate goal and more. In his first season with the Blues, O'Reilly finished with 77 points in 82 games. He won the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL. To top it all off, he helped the team win the Stanley Cup while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. If that were not enough, in 2020, O'Reilly was named the 23rd captain in franchise history. I think it is safe to say Armstrong did pretty well with this trade.
4. Kevin Shattenkirk Trade
In the 2006 NHL draft, the St. Louis Blues had the 1st overall pick and elected to take Erik Johnson with that selection. Johnson, a big defensive defenceman, spent parts of three seasons with the Blues but never really hit the potential the team believed he had when they selected him. On February 19, 2011, the Blues traded Johnson, Jay McClement, and a 2011 first-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart, and a second-round pick in 2011. Although Johnson spent parts of 13 seasons in Colorado before departing in free agency, St. Louis ultimately appeared to have come out of the trade on top. Chris Stewart was a huge physical presence on the ice but also had a streaky offensive game to go along with it. Finishing his time in St. Louis with 115 points in 211 games. However, the prize of the trade was Shattenkirk. The 2007 14th overall pick was a smooth skating puck-moving defenseman and, in his time in St. Louis, was regularly among the highest-scoring defensemen in the league. He and Pietrangelo formed a solid one-two punch on the right side of the defense for years, finishing his Blues career with 258 points in 425 games.
5. 2010 NHL draft
The 2010 NHL entry draft was what the Blues needed to help rebuild and retool the franchise. The St. Louis Blues, before the 2010 NHL draft, had missed the playoffs in four out of the prior five years and needed a spark to turn their luck around. The Blues traded defenceman David Rundblad, who they drafted in the first round in the 2009 NHL draft, to the Ottawa Senators for a 2010 first-round pick. The team had two first-round picks in the 2010 draft, 14th and 16th overall. With the 14th pick, the Blues selected Jaden Schwartz, an integral part of the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team and a consistent performer. In 558 games with the St. Louis Blues, Schwartz had 154 goals and 385 points. The spark the team was looking for came two picks later, with the Blues taking Vladimir Tarasenko with the 16th pick. Tarasenko did come over to the NHL right away, staying in Russia for a couple of seasons before finally making his debut in the 2012-13 NHL season. Right out of the gates, Tarasenko showed what he was capable of. He was a human highlight reel that was not afraid to use his body, had a wicked release, and could score from almost anywhere on the ice. In parts of 11 seasons as a Blue, Tarasenko was a 6-time 30-goal scorer and hit the 40-goal mark in the 2015-16 season. Tarasenko was a fan favorite and an instrumental part of the team's core for over a decade. Armstrong struck gold with both his first-round picks and helped set the foundation for years that followed.