The St. Louis Blues are entering the portion of the season where it is all gas and no brakes. After 34 games, you would think that it would be a littlesmoother than what it has been, but unfortnuately, it has not.
Injuries, lackluster play, and constant rumors of this and that one being traded and moved are hurting this team. As this is the last go-around for General Manager Doug Armstrong, you have to think that whatever has happened, and will happen, for this 2025-26 season will carry over with the new head-man to be, Alexander Steen.
With the recent GM change in Buffalo, who are in a seemingly much better position in the rankings right now than the Blues are, expectations are now raised for Steen.
Let's talk about those expectations, and how the recent events changes everything.
Uncertain future
Going into the 2025-26 season, before opening night, there was a sense that this team had finally turned the corner following the success of last season. But that has not been the case as this team has been unreliable and overall disappointing all year long. The future of the Blues is very uncertain, and that spells disaster with the big change happening this upcoming offseason.
The middle and ending of this current year can still go either way. Either this team endures the copious amount of injuries and then plays really well when everyone is healthy, or they continue to be mediocre to bad and fail. There is no in between.
If it is a good outcome, the expectation is for Steen to come in this upcoming summer and try and put together the best team possible and win again in 2026-27. But, if it is a bad outcome, the expectation for Steen remains the same as the good one.
Had that recent front office change not happened in Buffalo, Steen might have had an easier first year. But now, the pressure is on to right this ship now, and keep it going in 2026-27.