Must read: How the St. Louis Blues Can Begin Their Return to Former Glory

This Monday, the St. Louis Blues announced that former star center Alex Steen will join the organization’s management team, with the goal of becoming the team’s general manager by 2026.

With that said, what is the Blues’ plan for the coming days and weeks? Let’s look at three ways the Blues should change in the short and long term:

1. DECIDING WHO WILL BE IN NET

The Blues have around $15.9 million in salary cap space, with goaltending accounting for a substantial portion of that total. Veteran Jordan Binnington has three years left on a contract with a $6 million budget charge, and given how unreliable Binnington has been – both in the NHL and, more recently, at the IIHF World Championship – there’s a strong case for trading or buying him out.

A buyout would be the simplest way to part ways with Binnington, but perhaps there is a team out there that valued Binnington’s Stanley Cup champion status and would be ready to acquire him if the Blues kept some of his contract. In any event, teenager Joel Hofer appears to be St. Louis’ future goaltender, but the question is how the Blues will clean out their netminding to begin a new era between the pipes. Binnington’s problems should make it evident that he isn’t the answer for the next three seasons, therefore Armstrong and Steen should focus on finding him a new home.

2. CHANGING UP THE DEFENSE CORPS

The Blues’ top-four defensemen are all signed for the next two seasons, but there’s a sense in St. Louis that a change has to happen for their blueliners. The problem is, Nick Leddy, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Torey Krug all have no-trade clauses in their contract, and Krug has already shot down a potential trade to Philadelphia last season. The challenge of Armstrong and Steen will be to convince at least one of them a change in employment would benefit their career.

Parayko in particular could get the Blues a sizeable return in terms of draft picks and prospects, and his no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until 2028. Armstrong’s unwillingness to take the Blues on a full rebuild means he’ll still want to keep the majority of his defense corps together, but something needs to change to get St. Louis back into the post-season, and the most likely area in which management can effect change is on the back end. If Armstrong wants to set the table for Steen, the easiest way to do that is to remake the look of the defense. And it should be Parayko who gets moved.

3. TRADE A COUPLE OF FORWARDS WHO AREN’T LONG-TERM FITS

There’s been much speculation that veteran Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich will be dealt by Armstrong this summer, but he isn’t the only St. Louis forward who could be moved by management. Center Kevin Hayes and left winger Brandon Saad are 32 years old and 31 years old respectively, and while both of them have some type of modified no-trade clause, there is an exit ramp for their careers in St. Louis, and it’s a matter of Armstrong and Steen finding a new home for both to convince them they need to accept a trade.

The Blues have many youngsters to build the team around in the long haul – center Robert Thomas and wingers Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou all are key pieces for the future – but shuffling things up by moving Hayes and Saad will send a message to the team that the failure of this past season cannot go without consequence. Armstrong and Steen will have to make some difficult choices in the weeks and months ahead this off-season, but standing pat can’t be one of their moves. Related: Buyer Beware? Five UFA.