On July 1, the St. Louis Blues are going to be going through a monumental change at the top of the food chain. General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Doug Armstrong will be stepping down, and Alexander Steen will now be the man in charge of the entire kingdom.
Where does that leave head coach Jim Montgomery, as he is about to head into his second full season, but nearly a third considering he coached the Blues for 60 games in 2024-25. Is his seat hotter or colder with his new boss.
Let's talk about it.
Cool as the other side of the pillow
Montgomery's job might be the most secure on this Blues coaching staff. Even the newcomers in Vinny Prospal and Greg Cronin might have hotter seats to fix up their respective player groups. There is no way that Steen is going to let the former Jack Adams Award winner go.
The Blues are in a tough spot right now, but a hopeful one. The youth is the priority, and with that comes growing pains and some initial disappointment. But, the hope is that eventually things will start to click, and when it does, this team cashes in and brings in the top free agents possible to win the Stanley Cup.
Although he has yet to win one, as a player or a coach, Montgomery is surely the man for the job. He has that insight and leadership quality that a number of teams around the NHL wish they had. Looking at who else is available without a job right now, Montgomery surpasses all of them.
The Blues are going to make steady progress next season, even if it does not show up on the scoresheet. Development and figuring out the correct pieces to the Stanley Cup puzzle is what the 2026-27 season is for, giving 2027-28 a chance to be something great.
Montgomery will be behind the bench for the foreseeable future, and there should be no qualms about his pending departure.
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