If there's any good news about the St. Louis Blues' painful start across the first quarter of the 2025-26 season, it's that general manager Doug Armstrong has seen this before. Recently, the comments "open for business" were linked to him, but he also sent a kind memo to other NHL front offices in December 2018.
Emily Sadler of Sportsnet reminded Blues fans of what Armstrong did, writing, "The most notable case was around Christmas 2018, when the GM reportedly put out a memo to his NHL peers that the Blues were ready to sell."
Something creative this time around could provide another spark for a Blues team that is way too talented to be in last place in the Central Division, is 24th in scoring with just 53 goals, and is last in goals allowed with 73.
Maybe Armstrong should walk into the locker room the next time the Blues lose again and let the entire team know he sent a memo to the league's other 31 franchises, and a few more bad losses will give him a reason to dismantle the team.
Doug Armstrong has got to get creative to keep the St. Louis Blues afloat
The bad start, plus cluing the team in on the possibility that he will be making some big trades, could spark more optimism. And in a Central Division where four teams are in serious contention right now for that third-place spot means that Armstrong shouldn't be waiting until Christmas this time around if he wants to send his team a message that players will be moving if they don't start winning.
It needs to happen by Thanksgiving, which is a week and a half away. Between now and Nov. 27, the Blues should have five games to keep Armstrong from issuing memos or getting blunt with them. But if you want to add more fuel to the fire, they're facing a five-game road trip out east, with the bulk of those games going against the Metropolitan Division.
For the Blues, it's the moment of truth. Either they want to keep this team together and try to get relevant again, or else fans in Arch City are going to see a rebuild kick off before they have a chance to bring in the New Year, especially if Armstrong gets some good offers between Thanksgiving and when the calendar shifts to 2026.
Going to be an interesting road trip for a Blues team at a crossroads
As has been the case so many times in 2025-26, the Blues have yet to figure out how to stop anyone, and their goaltending has been beyond bad. Their last two games saw them give up nine goals to the Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights, and 10 if you count the shootout goal that iced the game vs. Philadelphia.
Unfortunately for the Blues, the Flyers, who are struggling to find the net consistently, are one of those teams on the schedule. So is a Toronto Maple Leafs team looking to salvage their season, the Metropolitan-leading New Jersey Devils, and the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. And both New York teams are by no means lagging too far behind the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins.
So, if you're the Blues, you have your work cut out for you. And if you're Doug Armstrong, you need to look to your past and ask yourself, "What was it that made this team catch fire before?" The answer rests in December 2018, but given the dire straits the Blues are in, Armstrong must strongly consider firing up his team one more time with memos or whatever it takes to get them back onto a winning trajectory.