Doug Armstrong likely done, barring about-face, doing anything else to alter makeup from last year's squad; additions of Faksa, Texier, Mathieu Joseph, brother Pierre-Olivier, bringing Kapanen back extend of additions
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- For those waiting for the St. Louis Blues to make any more altering changes to the 2024-25 lineup, the way it's constructed a few days into July is likely what it will be on opening night Oct. 8.
General manager Doug Armstrong said the Blues are likely done, barring an unforeseen circumstance, making changes to the lineup after acquiring forwards Radek Faksa, Alexandre Texier and Mathieu Joseph through trades, and signing defenseman P.O. Joseph, as well as bringing back forward Kasperi Kapanen.
"I would say yes. We can alter a little bit," Armstrong said. "We're content with our defense. We can look to improving it, but I'm excited about our goaltenders, I'm excited about the depth on our roster now. But if somebody gets in a jam, we might be there to help them get out of their jam."
In other words, as the Blues did with the Dallas Stars needing cap space and trading Faksa to the Blues for future considerations, and the Ottawa Senators wanting to rid themselves of Mathieu Joseph's $2.9 million average annual value for the next two years, if a team is in need of ridding a salary that the Blues can find useful and use up some of their remaining $8.1 million cap space available, they're going into the new season with what they have.
What the Blues tried to accomplish with their moves was gain size and speed. With Faksa, they gained a 6-foot-3, 2125-pound center; Mathieu Joseph, although smaller at 6-1, 186, adds speed, and brother P.O. Joseph also adds some size at 6-2, 185. Texier adds both size (6-1, 205) and speed. And Kapanen, as Blues fans witnessed, adds a really good skating element.
Not to mention the size the Blues emphasized on in this year's draft with first-round pick, defenseman Adam Jiricek (6-3, 178), second-round picks in defensemen Colin Ralph (6-4, 216) and Lukas Fischer (6-3, 173) and third-round pick forwards Ondrej Kos (6-2, 167) and Adam Jecho (6-5, 197).
"It's fair to say that," Armstrong said. "I think the taller, stronger players, seeing them at the U18, they're finding a way from 11 years old to 17 or 18 now, the taller, lankier players are getting their skating legs to the smaller, skilled players, and that always happens.
"When we came out of the year long lockout, you couldn't hook and hold as much. The smaller player had a massive advantage for a couple years. And then the bigger players realized I've got to get quicker or else I'm out of this league. The league has gotten bigger and bigger every year. It's unfortunate. That's just the nature of the beast. Bigger, stronger is better than smaller, stronger."
