The NHL’s front-office carousel has spun hard heading into the 2025-26 season, with seven teams making general manager changes. That kind of turnover always opens the door to fresh storylines, especially with the salary cap still climbing.
St. Louis was part of that wave, but the Blues handled it differently than the others.
Doug Armstrong didn’t get pushed out - he chose his own successor, handing the job to Alexander Steen. So far, that move has gone smoothly.
Of course, the real test hasn’t started yet. No games have been played.
Even so, Steen’s first month on the job already invites comparison with the league’s other new GMs. Last season, Buffalo made a change and saw immediate results under new head man Jarmo Kekäläinen, turning things around in a way that helped end a 14-year drought.
St. Louis isn’t likely to get that kind of instant payoff from Steen, but the possibility always hangs there.
Toronto, New Jersey, Nashville, Vancouver, and Detroit also turned to new leadership. In Toronto’s case, John Chayka arrives with a massive spotlight already on him, especially with Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft picture. Around the league, the job description for these new GMs is getting tougher by the year, with young players commanding enormous contracts and front offices needing to plan years ahead.
That’s the stage Steen walks into. He has Blues roots, he knows the organization, and he now takes over one of the most important roles in the building with a future that looks promising, if still a little unclear. Like the rest of the new wave of general managers, he’ll have to manage the growing cost of keeping young talent in place.
Jimmy Snuggerud is the name to watch there. He’ll be due for a new contract at the end of the 2026-27 season, and the source material points to him becoming the first player in Blues history to clear $10 million AAV.
And Steen may not be done shaping this offseason just yet. Before the 2026-27 season begins, there could still be another move on the board for St.
Louis. If Steen somehow lands Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, that would push this offseason into elite territory for a Blues GM - and maybe put Steen at the top of the class among his new peers around the NHL.
In Other News...
Blues MVP Debate Is No Longer Just About Robert Thomas
Robert Thomas has long been the obvious answer whenever the Blues most valuable player conversation comes up, and for good reason. He has been the sort of steady center around whom the roster has been built, but the outlook for 2026-27 suggests the debate could get a little more interesting if St. Louis younger core keeps taking shape the way the organization hopes.
Jimmy Snuggerud is expected to skate with Thomas and get first-line minutes, Joel Hofer is lined up to take over in goal, and Philip Broberg is moving into a bigger role on the blue line. Thomas still looks like a strong MVP candidate, but the point is no longer whether he matters most. It is whether the next wave of Blues talent can make a real case to share, or even steal, that spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Pavel Buchnevich Enters A Make Or Break Year For The Blues
Pavel Buchnevich arrives at next season at something of a crossroads for the Blues, with his game no longer looking quite as sharp as it did before his move out of New York. St. Louis still views him as a candidate to anchor the second line, but the margin for error is getting slimmer as the club tries to sort out its forward mix and decide which players fit its long-term plan.
The pressure around him is only growing because the Blues have other options pushing for those same minutes, including younger forwards Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael. Add in the wave of prospects waiting in the wings, and Buchnevich is not just trying to hold a job, he is trying to re-establish himself as a player the Blues can trust in a meaningful role. [Read more 🡒]