The transition will come after the club missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. What was a two-track plan of trying to be competitive and retool on the fly now seems more focused on the future.<\/p>\n
Headlines are likely. Trades are expected. Roster evolution is inevitable.<\/p>\n
During his tenure, few of Armstrong\u2019s moves were predictable (see: trading for Justin Faulk and offer-sheet signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg). With Steen soon to be in charge, the situation is even less predictable.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been involved in management for less than two years, but what are his thoughts on the Blues\u2019 roster? What\u2019s his style? How aggressive or patient will he be? We don\u2019t know because, having not taken over the position, he hasn\u2019t spoken publicly in those terms.<\/p>\n
We do know one thing, though: The team\u2019s needs remain the same.<\/p>\n
Here are the top 10 offseason priorities for the Blues:<\/p>\n
1. Sign Holloway to an extension<\/p>\n
In early February, Holloway was out with a high-ankle sprain, had played in just 34 of the Blues\u2019 57 games and had eight goals and 17 points.<\/p>\n
Needing a contract this summer, Holloway was likely in line for a short-term extension because of his health. He also had a torn oblique last season. The idea of signing him to a long-term deal seemed like a risk.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no reason to overthink that anymore.<\/p>\n
Holloway returned to the lineup after the Olympic break, and in 25 games, he\u2019s posted 14 goals and 34 points. Not only do those numbers lead the Blues but his goals are tied for the 11th (and points for seventh) in the NHL over that span.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no guarantee Holloway can stay healthy, but that\u2019s the case with any player. When he\u2019s on the ice, the 24-year-old is one of the most dynamic young forwards the Blues have had in a while.<\/p>\n
Holloway will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1, and he\u2019ll get a raise from his $2.3 million cap hit. The question is whether the two sides would be comfortable with an eight-year deal before the league\u2019s new collective bargaining agreement kicks in on Sept. 16. That CBA will limit teams to a seven-year maximum when re-signing their own players.<\/p>\n
2. Trade Thomas \u2014 or not?<\/p>\n
When Robert Thomas\u2019 and Jordan Kyrou\u2019s full no-trade clauses kicked in last July, there was great consternation about what it could mean for Kyrou\u2019s future with the club but little conversation about Thomas.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because it didn\u2019t seem plausible that the Blues would consider moving their No. 1 center.<\/p>\n
There may not have been trade talks involving Thomas at that time, but there were before the NHL trade deadline on March 6. The Blues spoke with the Buffalo Sabres about a potential deal, according to league sources, but that hit a snag<\/a>. The sources believed a Thomas trade could be rekindled in the offseason, though, and that could prove true.<\/p>\n But what now, after his performance since the week of the deadline?<\/p>\n In 23 games since his return from injury, Thomas has 14 goals and 31 points, and he\u2019s been on the ice for 43 goals for and 11 against at five-on-five. He\u2019s anchoring the top line with Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud, who have been producing as well. It begs the question of what their production would be without him.<\/p>\n In the Blues\u2019 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, they trailed 3-1 after the first period. At that point, coach Jim Montgomery gave the floor to Thomas in the locker room during the intermission to get the team back on track. The Blues scored five unanswered goals after that.<\/p>\n Between Thomas\u2019 production and presence, the club may be witnessing more evidence that leads to keeping him.<\/p>\n 3. Find a trade fit for Kyrou<\/p>\n Jordan Kyrou has four seasons on his resume with 27-plus goals and four with 67-plus points, but he failed to get to 20 goals and 50 points this season. In 72 games, he had 18 and 47.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more alarming is that while the Blues\u2019 top line surged down the stretch, Kyrou fell off significantly. He had 32 points in 47 games (0.68 points per game) before the Olympic break and just 14 in 25 after (0.56 per game). In those 25 games, he netted just five goals, including one on the power play and two empty-netters.<\/p>\n Kyrou wasn\u2019t the only culprit, as team scoring was scant for everyone except Holloway, Thomas and Snuggerud. But as the Blues\u2019 leading scorer the past three seasons, he could\u2019ve given the team a more formidable second line and came up well short.<\/p>\n A change of scenery may be best for the Blues and Kyrou, but where and for what in return? He has five more seasons left on his contract with an $8.13 million average annual value, and that may be attractive for a forward who has flirted with 40 goals \u2014 but not when he\u2019s coming off a season in which he dipped below 20. The Blues could also be looking for a return that\u2019s higher than teams are willing to pay.<\/p>\n 4. Explore moving Buchnevich<\/p>\n When Pavel Buchnevich signed a six-year, $48 million ($8 million AAV) contract extension in 2024, there was hope that with Montgomery back on the bench, he could return to his 2021-22 form. That season, with Montgomery as an assistant coach, Buchnevich scored a career-high 30 goals.<\/p>\n There was a lot of concern, though, because Buchnevich was 29 years old when he signed the extension, and with one year left on his last deal, six more years would take him to 36.<\/p>\n Now the contract looks like a bigger burden than even some skeptics anticipated. Buchnevich ended this season with 20 goals, failing to finish on many golden scoring opportunities. He also played a lot at center, and his 48 points were down nine from 2024-25.<\/p>\n But moving Buchnevich may be impossible. His precipitous drop in offense the past five seasons and the fact that he\u2019ll be 31 with five seasons left on his contract may be a deterrent. Steen will have to explore the market, and if there\u2019s a team that expresses interest, the new GM may have to add a sweetener to go along with that contract.<\/p>\n \n Pavel Buchnevich didn\u2019t hit the heights he or the Blues were hoping for this season. (Elsa \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n 5. Figure out the bottom six<\/p>\n The Blues\u2019 third and fourth lines were a game of musical chairs down the stretch.<\/p>\n Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, Jonathan Drouin, Jonatan Berggren, Otto Stenberg, Alexey Toropchenko, Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley all played in the bottom six at points, and even Buchnevich and Pius Suter took turns there.<\/p>\n Depending on who\u2019s playing in the top six, a third line of Stenberg, Dvorsky and Berggren could be solid. Meanwhile, the Blues need to create an identity on the fourth line. Toropchenko and Walker have two seasons left on their contracts, so they\u2019ll be in the conversation. Sundqvist will become an unrestricted free agent and seems likely to move on. Will Finley, who also has two seasons left on his deal, be his replacement?<\/p>\n It\u2019s understandable why Montgomery was moving players around in the bottom six. He wanted to see what he had for next season. But it would behoove the Blues if Steen had a good idea of who might occupy those spots when they return for training camp.<\/p>\n 6. Add much-needed toughness<\/p>\n While Steen is figuring out that fourth line, some more muscle would be nice. The Blues gave Milan Lucic a look last season, and it was the correct call not to sign the 37-year-old.<\/p>\n But the Blues need to keep searching. They don\u2019t have anyone in the lineup who opponents will feel threatened by. There\u2019s Tyler Tucker, but he\u2019s not always in the lineup. Plus, the need goes beyond having somebody drop the gloves. The Blues don\u2019t have many hard-hitting players on the roster.<\/p>\n 7. Circle back with Parayko on NTC<\/p>\n![\"Pavel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2248638048-scaled.jpg\")
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