Blues Counting on Youth to Step Up

In July, amid major changes to the St. Louis Blues, general manager Doug Armstrong said they might have to take a half-step back to take two steps forward.

In August, a month before training camp, he sounded more optimistic.

“Maybe we’ll be better,” he said.

The Blues have been good the past five regular seasons, with more than 100 points in each of the past four 82-game regular seasons and finishing first or second in the Central Division in five straight seasons.

They broke through in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, making the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2001 and coming within two wins of their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970.

But now they’re a team in transition.

Coach Ken Hitchcock will be behind the bench for one more season before stepping aside for Mike Yeo, the new associate coach. Assistant coach Kirk Muller left to become associate coach of the Montreal Canadiens after orchestrating one of the League’s best power plays the past two seasons.

Captain David Backes left for the Boston Bruins and forward Troy Brouwer for the Calgary Flames via free agency after bringing scoring, toughness and leadership. Goaltender Brian Elliott was traded to the Flames after often putting up excellent numbers.

The Blues are smaller and younger.

“It’s a different group,” Armstrong said. “We’ve been a little bit on autopilot the last couple of years, just bringing back a good group year in and year out. This is the first time we’ve had some change, and I think everyone’s excited about it.”

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