Contend for a playoff spot in the NHL while developing young talent at lower levels. Check, check. But how the Blues got to a postseason berth was not a straight line. Here are some of the moves made by Armstrong that led 蜜芽传媒 back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Hiring Jim Montgomery

This was the biggest move Armstrong made this season, firing Drew Bannister and hiring Jim Montgomery on Nov. 24 after the Blues started the season 9-12-1. Montgomery was fired by the Bruins less than a week before the Blues scooped him up and signed him to a five-year contract.

Under Montgomery, the Blues defense became one of the best in the NHL. Dylan Holloway produced at a point-per-game pace. Zack Bolduc scored all 19 of his goals this season with Montgomery behind the bench. The power play was top five in the league since the Winter Classic.

The Blues went 35-18-7 under Montgomery, a .642 points percentage that was the eighth-best in the NHL across that time.

Acquiring Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg

In August, Armstrong and the Blues successfully acquired Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from Edmonton via offer sheets, and the two former first-round picks developed into key contributors this season.

Holloway became one of the Blues鈥� most dangerous players offensively, putting up 63 points in 77 games to explode past the 18 points he totaled in 89 games with the Oilers. His $2.29 million cap hit became one of the best bargains in the league, as Holloway, Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou formed a potent second line.

Broberg, meanwhile, became a bona fide top-four defenseman and finished the season with 29 points in 68 games. Early on, he was the Blues best defenseman, and he helped steady the 蜜芽传媒 blue line when Colton Parayko missed 17 games with a knee injury.

Trading for Cam Fowler

When the Blues picked up Cam Fowler from Anaheim in mid-December, no one could have imagined Fowler鈥檚 fit in 蜜芽传媒 would have been this seamless. The Blues traded a 2027 second-round pick and ECHL defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka to Anaheim for Fowler and a 2027 fourth-round pick on Dec. 14. The Ducks also agreed to retain 38.46% of Fowler鈥檚 salary, turning his $6.5 million cap hit into a $4 million one in 蜜芽传媒.

Since the Blues traded for Fowler, he鈥檚 been one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL. His 36 points are ninth among NHL defensemen, and his 28 even-strength points are fifth. In the 51 games with 蜜芽传媒, Fowler has been on the ice for 56 Blues goals at 5 on 5. No other defenseman in the NHL has been on the ice for more goals for since then, and the Blues are plus-23 with Fowler on the ice at 5 on 5, per Natural Stat Trick.

Fowler will likely skate on the top pairing with Colton Parayko during the playoffs.

Terminating Brandon Saad鈥檚 contract

The Blues waived forward Brandon Saad on Jan. 28 during an underwhelming and uneven season in 蜜芽传媒, and then mutually agreed to terminate his contract two days later. Saad walked away from about $5.425 million to terminate his contract, and the Blues were free of his deal for both this season and next.

At the time, Armstrong said waiving Saad would allow for more ice time for Alexandre Texier, and Texier did play immediately after the Blues moved on from Saad. But the bigger impact was that younger forwards like Zack Bolduc and Dylan Holloway averaged more than a minute more of ice time after Saad鈥檚 departure. It鈥檚 also worth wondering where Jimmy Snuggerud would have fit in had Saad still been around on the roster.

Standing pat at the trade deadline

The March 7 trade deadline came and went without any moves by the Blues, even though they were one of the most talked about teams entering the deadline. The Blues went 5-1-1 in the seven games before the trade deadline, potentially leading Armstrong not to sell.

Captain Brayden Schenn was in rumors for weeks heading into the deadline, but held a no-trade clause. Neither Schenn nor Armstrong would say whether Schenn was asked to waive it, but Schenn remained in 蜜芽传媒 nonetheless and led the Blues into a playoff spot.

Cutting ties with fringe players

At different points throughout this season, the Blues have purged their roster of players that weren鈥檛 likely to make an impact the rest of the season. They waived forward Kasperi Kapanen on Nov. 18. They sent defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to Pittsburgh in December and Scott Perunovich to the Islanders in January, both for nothing in return.

But the absences on defense in particular allowed more ice time for Tyler Tucker, and he helped the Blues through Colton Parayko鈥檚 absence by absorbing more penalty-killing minutes.