1 week Ago
ST. LOUIS — It was one of the most dominating performances by the St. Louis Blues in a long time and, yes, that includes the Stanley Cup run.
Pavel Buchnevich had the 18th playoff hat trick in franchise history, something Brett Hull never did. Cam Fowler had a 5-point night, the most by a defenseman in the club’s playoff history. The Blues had three power-play goals and 63 hits in a game that set the NHL record for most combined hits in a game with 131, and there was a glove save by goaltender Jordan Binnington that, after video review, wasn’t conclusive enough to overturn.
Advertisement But what was conclusive was the final score: St. Louis 7, Winnipeg 2. The Blues are back in the series, trailing the Jets two games to one in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.
Who knows how this will wind up, but regardless, how did this particular team put on a display like that? This is supposed to be a retool, not a Rembrandt. With another day off before Game 4 on Sunday at Enterprise Center, let’s rank the 10 best moves by Blues GM Doug Armstrong that led to this season’s success. They’re listed in descending order with an emphasis on the moves, or developments, at the top being the most critical.
10. Trading for Faksa Armstrong acquired Radek Faksa from the Dallas Stars for “future considerations” last summer, and there was a legitimate question. Why would a team trying to get younger pay $3.
2 million for a 30-year-old veteran center who’s slowing down and may not even help on the third line? But Faksa proved worth it, as one-third of the important “WTF” line this season. He’s a low-maintenance player who the Blues missed when he was out of the lineup in December and January with a serious skate cut. 9.
Signing Suter It was surprising to see veteran defenseman Ryan Suter scratched by the Blues in Game 3. He played in all 82 regular-season games, as well as Games 1 and 2 of this series. But regardless of whether we see the pending UFA suit up in another game for the Blues, Armstrong’s signing of the consistently reliable defenseman was essential to the Blues getting through injuries to Torey Krug, Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko.
Suter, 40, logged nearly 1,600 minutes this season, which was second only to Justin Faulk. 8. Moving on from Saad It was no longer working with Brandon Saad, but he had one more season left on his contract.
The Blues played a bit of hardball, putting the veteran winger on waivers, and when he cleared, they assigned him to the AHL. Instead, the two sides agreed to terminate the contract, meaning Saad walked away from nearly $5 million. He signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, after which the Blues went 21-6-4 down the stretch.
His departure provided a regular role for rookie Zack Bolduc, who finished with 19 goals. Advertisement 7. Calling up Tucker Defenseman Tyler Tucker played 26 games last season, and though still a bit raw, the hope was that he’d continue to develop in the NHL this season.
However, it became a numbers game and Tucker started the season in the AHL. But in December, Armstrong elected to call up Tucker instead of Matt Kessel, and the 25-year-old took off with the Blues. He’s brought more than just physicality to the blue line, showing more offense than in the past and a real ability to help at both ends of the rink.
6. Getting Snuggerud to St. Louis There were a lot of fans afraid that Jimmy Snuggerud, the Blues’ first-round pick in 2022, might return to the University of Minnesota for his senior year and become a free agent in 2026.
But Armstrong maintained a strong relationship with the 20-year-old, having Snuggerud join GM-in-waiting Alexander Steen and coach Jim Montgomery for dinner earlier this season and attending his final NCAA game. That paved the way for him to sign with the Blues and join them for the stretch run and playoffs. 5.
Believing this was a playoff team I’ll be the first to admit that while I thought the Blues could be a wild-card team this season, I didn’t think they were a serious playoff team. That got some support when they had a disappointing start and fired Drew Bannister. But all along, Armstrong believed the roster he constructed was a playoff team, and, in fact, he backed that up by acquiring Cam Fowler in a trade in December.
You don’t go out and get a 33-year-old defenseman with a season left on his contract unless you’re trying to compete now. 4. Standing pat at trade deadline This one comes with a disclaimer: There’s significant evidence that the Blues were willing to trade captain Brayden Schenn, and he let it be known that he wanted to stay in St.
Louis. So if Schenn had entertained the idea of wearing another uniform, it’s doubtful the team would still be playing. But that situation aside, Armstrong kept the Blues’ chemistry intact by not moving anyone, including Faksa and Suter, who might’ve yielded a mid-round draft pick.
Not doing anything was the right decision. 3. Trading for Fowler When Armstrong finds a player like Fowler who comes to St.
Louis and has a lot of success, it makes you wonder why other GMs around the league didn’t see the potential upside. Fowler would be on a short-list of about five players in the conversation for the Blues’ best player this season — he’s been that good. You can make the case that they may not be in the playoffs without him, and that Parayko may not have had the career year he had without him.
Simply put, it was a brilliant pickup by the Blues. Advertisement 2. Acquiring Holloway, Broberg It’s a good sign when, nine months later, people are still talking about the fact that A) the Blues executed the double offer sheet and B) the Edmonton Oilers did not match.
Dylan Holloway finished second on the Blues in goals (26) and third in points (63), and it’s a real shame that he’s missed the postseason thus far with a lower-body injury. Philip Broberg had eight goals and 29 points in just 68 games, and when was the last time you noticed him make an obvious mistake? These moves tremendously sped up the retool. 1.
Hiring Montgomery It’s no wonder Armstrong had Montgomery atop his coaching list. He can flat-out do his job, as evidenced by the Blues making up 8 points in the Western Conference standings to qualify for the playoffs and the fact that the team has a legitimate chance against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets. He’s well-versed in the X’s and O’s, making adjustments game to game, and perhaps most importantly, he develops long-lasting relationships with players.
This was Armstrong’s best move, among many. (Top photo: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images).
