The St. Louis Blues are missing out on the playoffs for a second straight season, their season concluding Wednesday with the ninth-best record in the West, but general manager Doug Armstrong appeared at ease Thursday as he spoke to assembled media at the team’s practice facility.
That’s because, while there was disappointment, it wasn’t unexpected.
And also because there were plenty of developments to like: Robert Thomas’ emergence as a star, Colton Parayko’s bounce-back season, Jordan Binnington’s team-MVP performance, Jake Neighbours’ breakout year, Zack Bolduc’s arrival and more.
“This season was one of change, one of looking toward the future,” Armstrong said. “We saw some positive things in that direction. We learned a lot about ourselves, personally and professionally, positive and negative, and things we can improve on. All in all, it’s unfortunate that we’re not continuing to play, and we have to find a way to push forward this summer and get back to work next September.”
Doug Armstrong and Drew Bannister meet with the media to reflect on the 2023-24 season. #stlblues
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Armstrong addressed a lot of topics during a 30-minute Q&A with reporters.
Here are 10 quotes from the session that I found most noteworthy, including one that shocked me, along with my take on each.
Note: Some questions and answers have been edited lightly for length and clarity.
In October, you mentioned that third place in the Central Division might be a realistic ceiling for the Blues in 2023-24. Looking back, how do you evaluate the season compared to your expectations?
Armstrong: I was probably a little too honest on where I thought we were going to be. I was trying to give everyone a look into how I viewed things. It was brought up on a few different occasions that I didn’t believe in this team or I didn’t trust this team, and that wasn’t what I was trying to say or get at. I thought the guys played well. I thought we saw some really good things. I was extremely proud of the way the guys played against the top teams. We have to grow and learn why we can play at a certain level against a certain group of teams and what we have to do to prepare and execute better against teams that maybe we don’t have that fear factor in.
My take: Armstrong calls it like he sees it and his projection wasn’t far off. He also saw what the rest of us saw: The Blues can’t beat the clubs on the bottom of the scrap heap.
What is Drew Bannister’s status and what’s the latest on the coaching search?
Armstrong: I talked to Drew in the last week and told him that he’s going to be a candidate for the head coaching job. I feel that for the process, it’s necessary to interview a few people. But what I told him was when we made the coaching change (in mid-December), I was creating a list and the list was deep and extensive. But as I watched Drew perform and I watched our team perform, I started to cross names off that list. Now Drew is one of a very small number of people I want to talk to moving forward. I thought he did a very good job. I thought he was able to balance getting the best team on the ice every night with a blind eye to putting young players in situations they haven’t been in and living with the results. We had some young players do some really good things, and we had some young players make young mistakes that cost us, but that’s part of growth. So Drew is a finalist for the head coaching position, and that list isn’t extensive.
My take: The Blues were 30-19-5 under Bannister and he deserves to be in the mix. Armstrong asked Bannister to hold the team accountable and he did that. In the end, he may not get the job, but let’s not dismiss what he did.
Do you need more time before you make the coaching decision?
Armstrong: I think we have a good pulse. I’m fortunate to have an inner circle of people in our organization that I trust and have a lot of experience. It’s not something that I think is going to happen over the next four or five days. I’m not going to get into specific names, but some of the names that I want to talk to aren’t available. Their teams are playing (in the playoffs). And some of the names I want to talk to, I’m going to give a little bit of time. We certainly will have a head coach well before the draft (June 28 and 29). I’m thinking well before June 1, but I’m not putting a timeline on it.
My take: It’s clear that the Blues have a couple of targets. Armstrong said that NHL experience was not a requirement, so Denver University’s David Carle is an option. Armstrong declined to answer if the team was interested in Joel Quenneville. One thing to note: In my previous article, on the team’s offseason priorities, I poured some cold water on the idea of the Boston Bruins’ Jim Montgomery returning to St. Louis, but it may not be completely out of the question. Stay tuned.
Doug Armstrong says interim coach Drew Bannister is a finalist to keep the role full-time. (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
What’s your criteria for the job?
Armstrong: I think it’s someone who understands where we are in our maturation process, who can build and create a foundation that can stand the test of time, who wants to have the respect of the veteran players, but also has the ability to let the younger players express themselves and grab a bigger role. That’s a difficult task. I believe in our team, but we’re not at that level (of contending for a Stanley Cup) quite yet, so that removes a coach that would fill that criteria. I want to have a coach that comes in and has an understanding of the expectations of a fanbase that should have expectations, but also know(s) that we are in the process of doing something sustainable and allowing learning and growth to happen.
My take: I could be wrong, but this sounds like Quenneville may not be their guy.
Your plan is to keep the club competitive every year but also focus on the future. Now that you’ve seen that unfold for a full year, missing the playoffs and likely not having a top-10 draft pick, do you still believe in this approach?
Armstrong: We’re trying to do something that’s difficult, which is stay competitive and find good players and make good trades and win a championship. You can do what we’re doing, or you can get committed to one of two other ways. No. 1, trading the first-round picks and prospects that we’ve acquired and getting (an established) player and trying to push with a group that we believe is our core. Or No. 2, take 15 more losses off of this season and do that for five more years. I’m not sure we want to have a point total in the 50s and 60s for four or five more years to build something that might be good in 2035. If you took our top four players and traded them and got young assets and futures and replace them with American League players, we can get to 50 points. I can get us there, trust me. It’s getting us out that’s the hard part. I just don’t think that that’s where we need to go. We’re going to stay with the path we’re on.
My take: It’s hard to argue with this. The Blues aren’t going to win a Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future. They could strip the roster to the studs, but there’s no guarantee of getting a Connor Bedard and it’s years of pain. For as much frustration as there was within the fanbase this year, I heard from many who were entertained, and it could be better next season. Bottom line: Even if you don’t like the muddy middle, get used to it, because it’s not changing.
Do you think the Blues’ roster will be largely the same next season?
Armstrong: I don’t want to say something that’s going to come back and I’m going to answer to it in September. I just think that we’re on a path and we’re willing to stick with that path. If we can improve our team under the guidelines that we think gives our long-term outlook and our long-term goals the best chance to have success, we’ll do it.
My take: There will be moves made. Armstrong wouldn’t say it, but I’ll say it.
How do you assess Jordan Kyrou’s season?
Armstrong: I thought he went through stretches this year where the puck didn’t go in for him. If you look at all the fancy stats, he had a lot of chances and they weren’t going in, and then they started going in and everybody gets off his back a little bit. So, consistency is something, but he’s a game-changing player and a game-breaking player that has become a lightning rod for whatever reason.
I sat here in 2017 and Jay Bouwmeester was a lightning rod. Then he left our franchise and everyone thought, “How are we going to live without Jay Bouwmeester?” A year ago, Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington were finished, and now they’re not finished. So I can’t get sucked into this daily, “He’s a good player, he’s a bad player” thing. I have to have a longer-term approach. If you want to have a relationship with someone, you’d better be willing to go through tough times if you want to go through good times.
My take: Armstrong has always held this philosophy, and it’s worked well for him. If he got rid of every player the fans were riding, there wouldn’t be much left of the roster. That doesn’t mean Armstrong is wearing his Blues goggles and can’t see that Kyrou could be an absolutely dynamic player in this league if he were more consistent. He can see that. But he can also see that Kyrou is still just 25 years old, has a unique skillset, and if Armstrong can stay true to his word of patience, more good times may be ahead.
Doug Armstrong knows Jordan Kyrou is a “lightning rod” but also knows his potential. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Do you expect to spend to the NHL salary cap of $87.5 million next season?
Armstrong: It’s not a goal not to be, and it’s not a goal to be. If there’s a player or if there’s a situation that I can take to Mr. (Tom) Stillman and he signs off on it, and that adds a player with X amount of millions of dollars that takes us to the cap, I’ll do it. But I’ll get no benefit out of spending money poorly, so I can say next year, “Well, look, we’re at the cap.” Like we’re trying, but trying stupid isn’t trying. That’s just being stupid. The owners have never said, “No, you can’t spend.” But my job is to provide a roadmap where it’s spending wisely.
My take: I’d be shocked if the Blues spent to the salary cap next season. Honestly, there’s no reason to. In fact, they need to focus on moving money out and giving the ice time to Bolduc, Matthew Kessel and even Dalibor Dvorsky if he’s ready. That will get the Blues closer to where they want to go. Wasting money on over-priced, stop-gap help in free agency won’t.
Is the possibility of buying out a player’s contract ever on your radar and would you consider doing that this offseason?
Armstrong: I consider it every year. This isn’t an ego thing where we don’t buy somebody out. It has to make economic sense — and not just economic sense, there has to be a plan to have a better team because you’re doing it. It’s like, “We don’t offer no-movement clauses.” Well, that’s a lie. I don’t like to do it. It’s not our first preference to buy out players. It’s like my kids say, “Give me $1,000, I want to burn it.” I’m like, “I’m not going to give you $1,000.” When you buy out a player, it’s like burning money. So I have an obligation to make sure that it’s the right thing to do. But no, nothing is off the table.
My take: I was shocked by Armstrong’s response. I didn’t think there was a possibility of a buyout this summer, but now I do. I’ll say this, though: It may be evidence that Armstrong knows he won’t have any other options when trying to move certain players off his roster.
Do you plan to talk to Pavel Buchnevich, who has one more year left on his contract, about an extension this summer?
Armstrong: Yeah, we’ll approach him. I’m a big Pavel fan. Again, with free agency, it’s a two-way street. He just turned 29 years old yesterday, and if I was Pavel, I would want to sit with the (general) manager and talk to him. He’s at the age now where he should ask me hard questions about the direction of this organization because, I assume, he wants to know how quickly we can win. I would like him to be here. I have to sell him on why, and then we have to sell each other on why we can be comfortably uncomfortable with the financial deal that we make. But I’m a big Pavel fan.
My take: While an extension for Buchnevich is still possible, I believe it’s easier said than done. The Blues will need to show next season that they can be competitive, and they’re not far off. Otherwise, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to give him a long-term deal into his mid-30s. But fans should be happy to know that the team is interested in keeping him.
(Photo: Jeff Curry / USA Today)
