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Alexander Steen to become Blues GM… in 2026

For years, Doug Armstrong has been the Blues’ GM. After a stint at the helm of the Stars, he was hired by the Blues in 2010. Among his 31 counterparts, he has the most NHL experience with his current team.

At 59, the 2019 Stanley Cup winner and GM of Team Canada is sure to want to slow down one day. And that brings us to today’s press conference.

And why? Because the Blues announced in detail the succession plan for the Blues over the next five years.

Basically, Armstrong had two years left on his contract as GM and hockey president. So now he’s signed a three-year contract extension (2026 to 2029)… but not as GM: just as president. He will be GM from 2024 to 2026 and President from 2024 to 2029.

The plan is that in 2026, Armstrong will step down as GM and become President only. And the next GM to take office in two years’ time has already been found.

Alexander Steen, who was a key player with the Blues, will become GM in 2026. He has signed a five-year contract and from 2026 to 2029, he will be GM under Armstrong, who will only be President from 2026.

From 2024 to 2026, Steen’s contract calls for him to be a special assistant to Armstrong, who will still be the club’s GM. It’s safe to assume that the veteran executive will retire in 2029, but by then he could just as easily sign another contract to remain president and support Steen.

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The Blues have decided not to have any uncertainty.

We imagine they’ve based their decision on the Predators model, who brought in Barry Trotz as David Poile’s assistant last year with the stated goal of making him GM one day. He has just completed his first year as GM of the Preds.

In both cases, Trotz and Steen were trusted by Poile and Armstrong, but had no GM experience as such. They learned/will learn on the job as right-hand men before getting the job.

Steen won the Cup in 2019 as a Blues player, we’ll remember that.

In 2023-2024, Steen was a development consultant in Europe for the Blues. The Winnipeg native, who nonetheless represented Sweden internationally, will visibly become the second European GM in history, after Jarmo Kekalainen.

The Blues, who have also announced that Tim Taylor is to become an assistant GM, are stirring the pot, but in the right way with a clear plan. It remains to be seen whether Steen will be a good GM.

Overtime

– He had been an assistant in San Jose for two years. Clearly, the position wasn’t the most coveted.

– The Bengals are in town.

– Are Quebecers in Major League Baseball in demand?

– No panic in Edmonton. [RDS]

– Noah Juulsen: his family will grow.