St. Louis Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong confident about offseason moves for next season
St. Louis Blues have been struggling for quite a while now with their performance in the past seasons which has ultimately led the team being put on for sale by the ownership group, Sports Capital Partners Worldwide and Towerbrook Capital Partners, earlier
in March after five-years of disappointment.
Looking at what St. Louis Blues general manager, Doug Armstrong, has done over the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) offseason, it is not hard to see why he is so confident about the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
"I think the time is now to take that next step", GM Armstrong told NHL.com. "We have to be very competitive. You see every year how making the playoffs gives you an opportunity, but we have to be a good regular season team first and we think adding those
vets to the core group returning gives us a good opportunity to have a successful season”.
Over the few months that they had to reorganise and redesign the franchise, the Blues management made a number of additions and subtractions where they were really needed, which could make St. Louis a top playoff contending team next season.
Keeping in view their young roster, Blues signed on a number of veteran players who have proved over the years that their leadership and playing abilities are what could take St. Louis to the next level. 36-year-old Scott Nichol, 32-year-old Kent Huskins
and 31-year-old Jonathan Cheechoo were all added to provide extraordinary and much needed guidance.
Probably the biggest need and development for the team over the offseason was naming a capable captain. Veteran player and fan favourite, David Backes, was given the spot and according to the view of analysts, it was the best choice they could make.
"We have rebuilt through the draft and developed, but we're past that point now. We're a team that has expectations of being competitive, making the playoffs and playing well in the playoffs”, added Armstrong.
Having added a number of depth adding players to the line-up, seeing how St. Louis will play their cards next season will surely be thrill on its own.
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