Doug Armstrong named a finalist for GM of the year

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager (GM) Doug Armstrong has pressed all the right buttons this season and this past offseason. Now, he’s on the shortlist for the NHL’s General Manager of the Year Award.

Armstrong joins Boston’s Don Sweeney and Carolina’s Don Waddell as finalists.

The General Manager of the Year is awarded annually to the “general manager who best excelled at his role during the regular season.”

Armstrong became the first GM in Blues history to capture the award back in 2012.

During the 2018-19 regular season, he led the Blues to 99 points (45-28-9) and a third-place finish in the Central Division.

Armstrong began the season with an active summer, acquiring 2019 Selke and Lady Byng finalist Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo and signing key free agents, including Tyler Bozak, David Perron and St. Louis native Pat Maroon, who scored the game-winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Armstrong also recalled goaltender Jordan Binnington from the American Hockey League (AHL) on Jan. 7.  Binnington went on to post a 24-5-1 record during the regular season and became a finalist for the Calder Trophy.

On Nov. 19, he named 2019 Jack Adams finalist Craig Berube Interim Head Coach and the Blues went on to post a 38-19-6 mark to finish the regular season.

The Blues’ surge landed them in the postseason for the seventh time in Armstrong’s nine seasons, while the team has reached the Western Conference Final for the second time in that span.

The Blues share third overall with 403 regular-season wins during Armstrong’s tenure.