Blues GM Doug Armstrong Q&A: Trade Deadline, keeping Parayko/Thomas and more
There was no team more under the microscope this NHL Trade Deadline season than the St. Louis Blues. With rumors swirling about center Robert Thomas, to a nixed trade of defenseman Colton Parayko, to it being the last deadline with Doug Armstrong in the GM chair, the Blues were a fascinating team to track over the last two months.
After a late surge to the playoffs last season, the Blues have fallen flat this year and are set to miss the playoffs for the third time in four years. In the ever-competitive and top-heavy Central Division, Armstrong pivoted on a competitive season in 2025-26 and shifted gears with his sights set on the future and laying groundwork for his heir, Alex Steen, to hit the ground running as the new GM this summer.
Daily Faceoff caught up with Armstrong to discuss all the noise, the future and transition to GM-in-waiting Steen Friday morning.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Blues went through a period of transition the last time we spoke; it was several years back in 2023. You moved off of the likes of forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Jaden Schwartz and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Was there a similar mindset this year, or did the decision to take this avenue happen as the season went on?
DOUG ARMSTRONG, BLUES PRESIDENT OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS & GM: It was more as the season went on. We had higher hopes for this season than where we’re currently situated in the standings. We felt like played the second half of last year well and had put some stepping stones down. The contractual status with our players was solid; we didn’t have a lot of unrestricted free agents. We were hoping to build off of what we did last year.
As the season progressed, we just couldn’t find our footing. It made us re-evaluate where we are heading and take a direction where we can input some younger players sooner than we thought we would. That’s how we’re here today.
DFO: A lot of discussions happen this time of year and not all moves come to fruition right away. Are there more moves anticipated on your end down the road, or were a lot of the discussions one-offs?
ARMSTRONG: I think there may not have been as many discussions as were reported. With that being said, we had gone in a direction where we were changing our focus from trying to be competitive this season alone to working towards being competitive in the future. To do that, you have to make space for younger players, and to create space you have to make changes.
DFO: How hard of a decision was it trading Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk?
ARMSTRONG: It’s obviously very difficult. Justin came to us via trade (from the Carolina Hurricanes) and played well for us. It’s just we have Logan Mailloux and Adam Jiricek coming (up on the right-side of the defense); it helped us create space for those guys to play. It’s more of a parcel of where we’re at in the standings – if we were higher in the standings, that change wouldn’t have been made.
With ‘Schenner’ – the ones you’ve had success with, I’ve worked with him for a decade. I recall calling him at the (2017) Draft – and he was content with the Philadelphia Flyers – to tell him we had obtained his rights. We had some very successful years (including a 2019 Stanley Cup) and he became our captain. He leads by example, has all the characteristics that you want – in a person and as a player. It’s just our timeline and where we’re at with our maturation that didn’t match where he’s at in his career.
The value that both Brayden and Justin had around the league is something that we had to entertain.
DFO: The Blues have not exercised a buyout since you took over as GM more than 15 years ago. Is that a calculated move and something that you take into consideration when moving off of aging players with term left on their deals?
ARMSTRONG: It’s not something that is set in stone. We have just never felt that we’ve ever been in a position with a player where that ever had to be done. If you look back at our history for the better part of my managing career – the first 12 to 13 years – we were dealing in moving future assets for the players that could help today. We had success, we tried to stick with the players that put us there and work through difficult times with people.
We came to a point where we are now, that we want to push back into an area where we can have an eight to 10 year run. So the buyout thing isn’t something that we refuse to do, it just hasn’t come up as something that would benefit our team.
DFO: The Colton Parayko situation was a tough one for all involved with the trade that fell through. What kind of pro is he for the Blues, and how much value was shown in him from other teams for the same reason?
ARMSTRONG: I’m not going to get into trades of players that weren’t completed. It doesn’t benefit anyone.
What I will say about Colton is that he is and was an excellent St. Louis Blue. We drafted and developed him; he grew with us and we grew with him. He’s won a Stanley Cup here, he’s been a big player on the international stage with Team Canada. His resume certainly speaks for itself.
DFO: Without asking about potential trades down the line: what kind of pro and player is Robert Thomas for your organization?
ARMSTRONG: Robert is another player we drafted and developed. His success rate was off the charts as a young, aging player and a young pro player. From the Memorial Cup, World Juniors to Stanley Cup – he’s blossomed into a premier passing centerman. His scoring touch is becoming stronger, using that asset to open up his passing game. I know I’m biased, but I think he’s a top-three passer in the world right now, seeing it every day in practices and games.
As far as his leadership, he’s a very astute hockey person. Being around Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Steen, Ryan O’Reilly, Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn, he has Cam Fowler still there, he is observing and learning from guys who have been through it. He’s now taking the lessons he’s learned along the way and is putting them into use.
Jimmy Snuggerud said it best: “He’s our rock.” He’s our best player, he touches every aspect of our game and he’s a good hockey player just coming into his own.
DFO: When is the exact plan for special assistant to the GM Alex Steen to take over?
DA: It will be after the Draft that he takes over. It’s a big draft for the Blues coming up with 12 picks and (an NHL high) three first rounders. I’m going to use my experience to help the amateur staff in any way I can, and Alex is going to be front and center with us as we go through it.
On July 1, he will jump on with the other GMs and lead our group into Free Agency. I’ll be there to support him as I am now. Most hockey teams work as a unit, and that won’t change for us; the spokesman will change. He will have the ability to have the final say in on-ice matters.
DFO: Did Steen take more of a hands-on role during this Trade Deadline or was he still in more of a watch-and learn-approach observing how you handled things?
ARMSTRONG: We didn’t look at it like that; since he moved back to North America we talk every day, work closely together everyday. It’s not something we talk about, what will happen in July – we just go to work every day. He’s a very valuable asset with his knowledge. I know he’s picking up things from everyone on our staff like Peter Chiarelli, Tim Taylor, Dave Taylor, Al MacInnis, Scott Mellanby and Ryan Miller or myself.
He’s observing, he’s building his own resume on how he wants to manage, but it’s not something that we map out in time frames when he is going to take over certain things. You just work together and do so the best you can. You have to plan, but we learn from each other. I’ve enjoyed every step of the way, and I’m looking forward to how it will play out in the future.
DFO: How do you see your role being transitioning solely into president of hockey operations?
ARMSTRONG: It’s going to be new territory for me. I refer to the Jim Rutherford or Brian Burke or Jeff Gorton (approach) who were managers, taking that skillset to help someone as a GM who hasn’t held that role before. As opposed to someone who comes in (as a president of hockey ops) from a different avenue will be able to share different skills as someone who hasn’t been a GM before.
It’s the same title, but it’s done differently in every organization. What I try to do is to take the George McPhee-role who has a similar background to me. Charting our different responsibilities and things like that. I want to try to bring my managing experience to Alex Steen.
DFO: What is the vision for the Blues beyond this season: should we expect a rebuild of sorts or is this a retool? Because when we spoke two years ago you mentioned that doing a full rebuild as a team in the Midwest was maybe not feasible.
DOUG ARMSTRONG: We’re trying to get as many players in the same age bracket that can grow together. I think one thing that has changed since the last time we spoke (in 2024) is the parity in the league has never been greater. I’m not sure that it’s necessary for the Blues to bottom out as a 50-point team; I think the league does too good of a job of spreading out talent to put a team on the ice that you think can be one of 50 points.
We’ve tried to rebuild on the fly, so we’ve brought in players like Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to grow with our pre-existing core. I think we have a group that can grow together, and we see it in games that we’ve played recently. I think we have the ability to bypass a stage where we get outplayed game after game – we don’t think we have to go through that.
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