Respect is not given freely. Doug Armstrong is a championship-winning GM. He deserves credit and has earned it.
He was awarded GM of the Year and won a championship.
How does St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong fare in the NHL playoffs?
Armstrong, the St. Louis Blues general manager, has a 50-58 record and a .459 winning percentage in postseason play.
Fans will note the win percentage drops drastically from his regular season performance.
The nature of postseason play means that there will always be permanent losses, with only one team coming out as the winner of each series.
Combining his time in Dallas, Armstrong's playoff appearances sit at 61-76.
Comparing him to the legendary GM Lou Lamoriello, who has a total record of 172-153 with three teams (New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders), Armstrong has work to do.
Let's be clear—Armstrong is already recognized as the No. 10 all-time winning GM, but his postseason win-to-loss ratio is negative.
Armstrong, who is 59, has plenty of time to remedy his postseason record and add to his stats as one of the most successful GMs in league history.
He has little patience for mediocre play and needs to set the same standards for himself in the playoffs.
For the time being, Drew Bannister, the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, will be relied upon to enhance Armstrong’s record.
Although Armstrong may not perform as well in the playoffs as he does in the regular season, he still excels as a GM and remains one of the league's top managers.
He has the power to continue building upon his success. However, his performance in the playoffs requires significant improvement.