Alex Steen #10 of the Toronto Maple Leafs
On Thursday, the St. Louis Blues made a significant announcement, naming former Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick Alex Steen as the new general manager of the club. In tandem with this move, President George Armstrong has signed on for an additional three-year term, ensuring continuity in the Blues’ front office.
Alex Steen’s journey to this pivotal role began in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, when Toronto Maple Leafs GM Pat Quinn selected him with the 24th overall pick. The son of former NHLer Thomas Steen, Alex made his NHL debut three years later at age 21, showcasing his potential as a consistent top-six forward. During his first three seasons with the Leafs, Steen tallied 48 goals and 122 points, hinting at a promising future.
However, in a twist of fate, Steen’s career took a different path due to one of the most criticized trades in recent Maple Leafs history. During the 2008-09 season, interim GM Cliff Fletcher, attempting to reignite his early-90s success, traded the 24-year-old Steen and 26-year-old defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo to the St. Louis Blues for 25-year-old forward Lee Stempniak. The deal was puzzling to many, as Steen and Colaiacovo, both former first-round picks, seemed to possess greater combined value than Stempniak.
Stempniak’s tenure with the Maple Leafs was short-lived, resulting in 25 goals over 123 games before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. In contrast, Steen flourished in St. Louis, spending 12 seasons with the Blues and amassing 195 goals, including four 20-goal seasons. His contributions were instrumental in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory in 2019.
After retiring following the 2019-20 season with over 1,000 career games and 600 points, Steen now embarks on his first NHL managerial role at the age of 40. His mission: to steer the Blues back to prominence.
The Blues narrowly missed the playoffs last season by six points but enter the offseason with nearly $16 million in cap space and five draft picks within the first three rounds. This financial and strategic flexibility provides Steen with a robust foundation to either rebuild or retool the roster.
As Alex Steen steps into this leadership role, the hockey world will be watching to see if he can bring the same success to the front office that he did on the ice. His challenge will be to avoid the pitfalls of past management mistakes and to craft a team capable of returning to playoff contention. The future of the St. Louis Blues under Steen’s guidance promises to be an intriguing storyline in the NHL.
