The Blues are transitioning toward a new-look front office, but their management goals will remain the same.
There is no ambiguity, and there will be no false promises. The Blues will still retool on the fly, seeking to remain competitive while aiming to contend again within two or three years.
They wonât shift toward a long-haul rebuild this summer, nor will they sacrifice long-term assets for a big near-term push.
So what would a successful summer look like? Signing forward Pavel Buchnevich to a contract extension, realigning the blue line, adding defensive prospects and adding depth scoring would check the boxes.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong wants to retain Buchnevich. GM-in-training Alexander Steen is on board with that too.
Buchnevich plays the right way. He pushes himself hard. He excels in all phases of the game. He could help keep this team competitive while helping fortify its culture, thus enhancing player development and team growth.
Thatâs the kind of stuff Steen did for the Blues as they built up to their Stanley Cup run. We expect Steen to value veteran presence as his decision-making influence grows.
The Blues seem willing to pay Buchnevich the going rate to stay. But Buchnevich wants to win, so he could play out his final contract year and hit the market.
Last season wore on him. He fought the puck for long stretches of the season. The Blues endured multiple slumps and a coaching change.
If Buchnevich decides not to re-up here, then the Blues must trade him for a package of long-term assets that would further the retool.
Employing four 30-something defensemen with long-term contracts does not fit the current plan. The Blues should replace one of them with a younger veteran â ideally one with shutdown ability.
Of course, that is easier said than done.
Last summer, Armstrong tried to offload Torey Krug and add Travis Sanheim, but Krug used his no-trade protection to nix the trade with Philadelphia. So the dilemma remains.
Colton Parayko reemerged as an effective shutdown defender and made himself a cornerstone. Justin Faulk became a solid all-around defender before his injury-marred 2023-24 season, so he should be a keeper.
Nick Leddy has the least onerous contract (two years left with a $4 million cap hit) of the four, and he survived being miscast in the shutdown role. He could be the easiest of the four to trade, but he still offers value at his price.
That brings us back to Krug, who could become a candidate to be bought out or traded (if he agrees) with the Blues retaining some salary.
As Armstrong notes, buyouts only make sense if a team can exploit the cap space gained to make the right addition. Thus far, that hasnât happened on his watch.
While Krug is unlikely to play up to his $6.5 million salary cap level, he could still be a useful third-pairing defenseman and power-play quarterback.
The Blues have previously coveted defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who could be available again as the Ottawa Senators manage their salary cap. That team has made big long-term commitments to Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson ($16.05 million combined cap hit), so further investment in Chychrun might not make sense.
Armstrong might kick those tires again, but assembling a compelling trade package for Chychrun (or a similar cap casualty) could compromise the retooling.
During his media session Monday, Armstrong made the standard pre-draft declaration: His staff will target the best available player rather than pick for need. Gathering the best assets possible gives the organization trade leverage to fill holes down the road.
Fair enough, but the Blues need more D-men in the pipeline. Landing Theo Lindstein with the 29th overall pick last year was a great start, and this draft offers even greater opportunity.
By the time the Blues draft at No. 16, though, top defensive prospects Artyom Levshunov, Anton Silayev, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh, Carter Yakemchuk, Stian Solberg and Adam Jiricek could all be off the board.
The Blues should make every effort to move up in the first round. They have extra second- and third-round picks, so they have some capital to play with.
âLetâs say you want to get into eight, nine, 10, 11, I think thatâs doable,â Armstrong told reporters. âItâs painful. Iâve got to get to the threshold or pain that weâre willing to take as an organization.â
If the Blues canât move up, they could move back and collect extra draft picks. Armstrong is open to both strategies â but he is not open to spending a first-round pick for more immediate help.
Upgrading the depth scoring should be the easiest fix for the Blues this summer, given the high number of supporting-cast forwards likely to hit market this summer. Finding players who are more productive than Kasperi Kapanen, Jakub Vrana and Sammy Blais should not be difficult.
Donât expect a dramatic summer from the evolving Blues brain trust, which has remained patient throughout this process. But the franchise has enough salary cap space and draft leverage to move this retooling forward.