Now that the Alexander Steen-era is in full swing at the General Manager position, let’s look back at just how important Doug Armstrong’s exit was.
The St. Louis Blues are in a much better situation than they were a year ago at this time, and it is all thanks to their former GM not bottoming out. All of the trades this offseason and in the middle of last season were masterclasses in negotiation.
Let’s s discuss how he got it done.
Didn’t give in to lowball offers
This dates back to both of the mid-season trades from the 2025-26 season, in which Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn were let go for first- and third-round picks each, and some additional depth pieces, including prospects.
There were likely a lot of different trade partners last season that offered a lot less than that, but Armstrong set his high price early and never wavered. This also held true with the near trade of Colton Parayko and the dangling of Robert Thomas for potential buyers. Both were in the same ballpark as Schenn and Faulk's return, and the Buffalo Sabres matched up before Parayko denied it.
Cut out the NTC
When Armstrong retained much of the old core, he gave a lot of players No-Trade Clauses. That was a serious problem in recent years, as he could not move off of certain players, as they were the ones in control. But now the number of players without that clause has diminshed some.
Going forward, there is a sense that Steen is going to learn from Armstrong's mistakes and be a little more sensible with the No-Trade Clause. Jimmy Snuggerud is really the only player who would deserve it, but like Philip Broberg's new deal, it might kick in during his last year under contract.
Armstrong set up the Blues for a steady incline in the upcoming years. The pipeline is full of rising stars, and his successor is primed and ready to lead the charge. He could not have left this organization in a better spot, when it would have been so easy to just take the easy way out and accept those lowball offers.
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