There is no doubt that no matter if the St. Louis Blues make the playoffs or if they watch the postseason from home, their fanbase has a lot to look forward to. And with a month to go in the season, this red-hot version of the Blues looks like they’ll be playing meaningful games until the season reaches its conclusion.
It’s not uncommon to see teams in this position, those in a retool or even an all-out rebuild, exceed some wild expectations and either sneak into the playoffs or narrowly miss. We saw this happen with the Buffalo Sabres in 2023 when they just missed out on a playoff berth. Last season, the Detroit Red Wings nearly got in.
Now, take a look at those two names again: The Sabres and Red Wings, and Blues fans may cringe. Why is that? Well, we got two teams, one of which is completely irrelevant these days, and the other is trying its hardest to return to irrelevancy.
St. Louis Blues general manager must start making offseason preparations now
If there’s one common denominator between general managers Kevyn Adams and Steve Yzerman, it’s that, following the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, respectively, they did little to add talent to their respective lineups.
Instead, both insisted on bringing back a near-carbon copy of the previous season’s version of their teams, adding or elevating a prospect or two to NHL status. Not a bad idea, but each franchise, both of whom own the league’s longest playoff droughts, are no longer trending north.
You can argue that Adams and Yzerman were ill-prepared for what should’ve been offseasons that brought in enough talent to bust through those droughts. And now, it wouldn’t surprise me an iota if the Sabres and Wings got rid of them when both teams inevitably miss the 2025 playoffs.
While Doug Armstrong isn’t on the hot seat by any stretch and has done a phenomenal job with this retool, he can stand to take some notes here. And yes, before you say anything, I completely endorse strong consideration for names like Dalibor Dvorsky to make the leap to the NHL. But that doesn’t mean Armstrong shouldn’t try to improve this team with reputable names from the outside.
If Doug Armstrong has a plan in place the Blues will soar in 2025-26
Even if the Blues end up in the playoffs this season, and I apologize for any inconvenience I’m about to cause here, they probably aren’t getting very far. Yeah, never say never, because we’ve seen some wild things happen in the playoffs, but chances are, the Blues will be watching most of the postseason from their respective homes.
That means Doug Armstrong should pinpoint exactly where this team needs to improve, and which pending unrestricted (and maybe another restricted free agent or two) to target in the 2025 offseason. Given his recent track record, I have full faith that Armstrong will get this right once again.
But if he falls into the same trap as Kevyn Adams and Steve Yzerman, an unfortunate haunting will plague the Blues next season. That ‘infamous step back,’ and it’s the last thing a team and a fanbase with so much momentum need. So, Mr. Armstrong, keep building this team from within, but don’t be afraid to make a few more bold offseason moves.