And just like that, we've gone from the hectic offseason to the (roughly) one month to go mark before the prospects report. And do you know what that means? Yep, player, coach, and even general manager expectations.
For Doug Armstrong, he didn't do anything big to bring in a star player or anything even remotely related. But it doesn't mean he didn't take more than his fair share of big swings in terms of risk-taking.
The first one we can talk about was the trade that brought in defenseman Logan Mailloux. Yeah, Mailloux has potential and the 2025-26 season should be his first of many as an NHL full-timer, or at least close to.
But wow, trading the fast riser in Zack Bolduc was something none of us saw coming. Well, unless you figured out how to astral project into the future, then maybe you did. And if you developed that skill, I'd like to know about it.
Anyway, I got the vibe that Armstrong turned the Habs into a powerhouse with the Bolduc trade since, as you might remember, Montreal also got their hands on Noah Dobson. I mean, that team's guaranteed to finish in the Atlantic's top four, but you can't say the same for the Blues in the Central.
Doug Armstrong's risk taking has paid off before, but did it make the Blues better?
Right now, trading Bolduc for Mailloux doesn't make this team better. Or, at least that's the case on paper. But then again, as much as I liked the Broberg and Holloway pickups last season, I didn't see either of them breaking out and expanding their roles so fast, and that's why I'm not making a premature judgment on Mailloux.
Another risk, albeit an underrated one, was getting rid of Radek Faksa. Or, to be more accurate, letting him walk.
His defensive zone face-offs and ability to manage the game when he was on ice is something the Blues will miss. But I like Nick Bjugstad, especially since he has more of a scoring prowess than Faksa on the bottom six, and Pius Suter looked like a sneaky-good move.
These two make the Blues deeper. Suter should sidle right into the second line at center, and if Bjugstad can even remotely take over Faksa's role on the fourth with Oscar Sundqvist likely kicking outside to winger, then this forward group's going to be well-rounded.
So, what are the expectations?
Last season, the Blues raised the floor, and, despite the pain of losing Zack Bolduc, the Blues forward group is, for the most part, well-rounded. Ideally, someone like Bolduc could've snuck into the third line alongside, most likely, Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn, if I'm going by the Daily Faceoff's projections.
Still, even without Bolduc and with Jimmy Snuggerud likely the next man up, I'm sold on the Blues forwards and convinced they'll keep pace with what they did last season. And to be real? If they even stay as-is, then Armstrong will exceed expectations.
But if they regress, and if Mailloux especially doesn't show us that he's working out, fans will be pointing fingers at Armstrong. Should Bolduc prove to be a good fit in Quebec, then you might not hear the end of it. At least for a while.
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