St. Louis Blues training camp primer: Doug Armstrong on making team better, where they're better at now than before, do they end two-year playoff drought

Blues added Texier, Faksa, Joseph brothers, Suter, Broberg, Holloway, looking to infuse speed, toughness into lineup with hopes of bridging gap together

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Doug Armstrong dipped into the past when comparing the current crop of St. Louis Blues players.

The Blues' general manager and his management team have continued to reshape the roster in hopes of ending a two-year playoff drought that has the Blues, on the eve of hitting the ice for training camp ahead of the 2024-25 season, feeling good about where they sit.

"I'm looking forward to training camp," Armstrong said Wednesday. "I think that we've changed the outlook of our team. We have a lot of NHL caliber players that have experience at a young age in our group right now and they're going to push to take ice time and to play up the lineup. I think we're in a good spot right now where we expect to compete.

"Probably since 2010, 11 and 12 in that where we had a lot of young players and some really good veterans. There seems to be a lot like that of the 10, 11, 12 team where we had guys coming in and pushing. Once they can grab the rope and support the veteran players that have been here a while. I think we've got a chance to be a highly-competitive team, but it is as deep as we've been in a while."

The Blues, 43-33-6 last season, good for 92 points but seven points shy of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs, went out and brought in size and speed up and down the lineup.

They brought in size in center Radek Faksa (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) from the Dallas Stars for future considerations; they brought in speed and skill in winger Alexandre Texier (6-1, 194) from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2024 fourth-round pick; they brought in speed with winger Mathieu Joseph (6-1, 190) from the Ottawa Senators for future considerations; they acquired speed and size in winger Dylan Holloway (6-1, 205) and defenseman Philip Broberg (6-3, 198) from the Edmonton Oilers via offer sheets the Oilers did not match for a second and two third-round picks, they signed a physical presence and experience in Ryan Suter (6-1, 205) to offset the loss of Torey Krug (pre-arthritic condition in left ankle), P.O. Joseph -- Mathieu's younger brother -- was signed for his physical presence (6-2, 185), depth and snarl on the blue line from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kasperi Kapanan was resigned for his speed element and Pavel Buchnevich signed a long-term contract (six years, $48million). Oh, and there's the youth movement the Blues continue to implement to help round out a roster that needed some spice to it after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010 and 2011.

"I would just say experience. We have playable experience, and I also think youth, youthful playing experience," Armstrong said on what they added. "But I think we've increased our speed quotient throughout our lineup. We have a different look obviously up front. The only place that looks very similar is the goaltenders. Other than that, there's a different look in a lot of different areas. I think that's good, a team that's trying to regain some stature in the league and I think that we're in a good spot to do that."

A lot's been made of the Blues' offseason acquisitions, but none more so than Broberg and Holloway, who each signed a two-year contract that the Oilers ultimately did not match. Broberg inked a $9.16 million contract ($4.58 million average annual value) and Holloway signed a $4.58 million contract ($2.29 million AAV).

"I talked to both of those players about expectations and controlling the controllables," Armstrong said. "Those guys coming in here, they came here via offer sheet and that in itself has a lot of permutations around it and people talking about it. What I said to them and mostly Broberg in this conversation, 'We're in this for the marathon, not the sprint.' I think he's got less than 100 games, 80 games. I want him to have a good tenure (and) career here in St. Louis. I want him to hit the ground running, but we're not going to judge him in October, November. This is going to be a growing process.

"But they do have an opportunity to take a bigger role on the team right now and I think talking to the Joseph brothers and Texier and you add those two players in there with Jake [Neighbours], this is the first time that a group of players like that have been together where they're forming a nucleus of a team and not just coming as an extra part trying to make the team. I like the balance of that with [Brayden] Schenn and [Justin] Faulk and [Nick] Leddy and [Colton] Parayko, [Brandon] Saad and those guys and that next group of players with Robert [Thomas] and [Jordan] Kyrou, sort of in that middle age, then a group of younger guys. It's a good balance and I'm looking forward to see how it all jells together."

The only mainstay is in goal where the Blues will once again have Jordan Binnington (28-21-5, 2.84 goals-against average and .913 save percentage last season) and Joel Hofer (15-12-1, 2.65 GAA, .914 save percentage) manning the pipes, with the 24-year-old Hofer likely pushing Binnington for more playing time.

"Yeah, I think competition is strong for any organization," Armstrong said. "We have it now in all positions, forward, defense and goalies. I think 'Binner' and 'Hof' have a really great working relationship together and Joel is going to push, Binner is going to push. I think he would like more ice and I think 'Binner' wants to maintain and have more ice and that's the great competition."

The leadership group will remain the same, with Schenn wearing the captain's 'C' for the second straight season, and Parayko, Faulk and Thomas all getting the 'A's again.

"The letters will stay the same," Armstrong said. "We have that secondary leadership group. I'd like to see players like obviously Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours is a younger player who's going to take part of that. But that'll evolve as the year goes on.

"We've had a lot of changes. I think the best way to do is to let the guys describe who they are inside the room and then we'll go from there. The captains are consistent from last season."

It's no secret that Armstrong has maintained wanting to keep the Blues competitive and relevant in the standings while not using the word 'rebuild,' like some organizations have by stripping things down to the bare bones and basically starting over.

The past two seasons have seen marked improvement from one to the next and it's evident the 'retool' is more advanced than it is on the flip side.

"I think we addressed a lot of those things this summer," Armstrong said. "You're never sure how you're going to be able to do it, but we brought in good players with good pedigree that are in the league now. Now they're ready to take off.

"I do think we're at a different phase. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays itself out. I talked to some of our people in our group and I think it's time we talk less and do more. That's where we're at now. Doesn't really matter what we say, it's how we perform and I'm excited to watch the guys perform."

And if the players happen to perform, Armstrong has made it known that if the Blues are relevant, he will add to the mix rather than subtract pieces.

"I think we're a competitive team and my vision, which I keep to myself, plays itself out, then we'll have to make responses at the trade deadline if it's available one way or the other," Armstrong said. "But I'm excited where they're at. I know they're ready for the challenge to get back and compete and push with the teams that were ahead of them last year and become part of that group. I think we can do that.

"Moving experienced players along for youth is way easier than moving youth along for experienced players. You have to accumulate as many puzzle pieces as you can, and then at some point you have to start making the puzzle. Right now I think what we've done is, we've accumulated enough assets now. ... We're getting in that team-building mode now where we expect to compete. If it's not fitting in with our puzzle, we have to move pieces along to find better fits."