Confirmed with Link: Steen to be GM in 2026

[ChicagoBlues]

I seriously doubt that happens.
Having said that; I would not be at all surprised if he pulls off a few "unofficially orchestrated" trades/signings before he actually takes over(similar to Army with Halak), if only to get his feet wet in that arena.

Hard to imagine Army stepping out of the GM role a year early and plopping Steen into the deep end earlier than anticipated. It's even harder to imagine Army being fired after next season given he'll still have 4 more total years under contract.

I'm not saying Army will be fired, but it is not hard to imagine a scenario that makes sense. An amenable situation for all. I think it is quite possible that the Blues' situation would look rosy enough for Steen to take over a little earlier. Not sure why this idea is so inconceivable.

It would not be an indictment of DA.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

You are better than that. We often disagree but you never resort to insults. I enjoy discussions, and I tend to question everything. But that is me. I do not get tired of it. If you do, don't engage. You know my stance. I've laid it out. You obviously contradicted yourself. When I point it out, you could have clarified your stance. Instead you resort to insulting me.

I’m sorry if it sounds like an insult. I typically enjoy interacting with you, as you are knowledgeable and insightful. Sometimes, however, it feels like you are disagreeing for sport and that isn’t a game that sounds like fun today. So I’m not going to explain to you why you are missing the subtlety of why I didn’t contradict myself in the quoted text. It’s in there. You’re a bright guy. You can see it if you want to.

 

[Majorityof1]

I’m sorry if it sounds like insult. I typically enjoy interacting with you, as you are knowledgeable and insightful. Sometimes, however, it feels like you are disagreeing for sport and that isn’t a game that sounds like fun today. So I’m not going to explain to you why you are missing the subtlety of why I didn’t contradict myself in the quoted text. It’s in there. You’re a bright guy. You can see it if you want to.

"Are you as tired of yourself as we all are" SOUNDED like an insult? f*** off. How is that not insulting?

This is my legitimate opinion. I have given several reasons I hold it. A few other respected posters hold the same opinions, but you are not insulting them. You will not have to worry about me responding to your posts in the future with my tiresome opinion.

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

Which is it? Did he need to be anointed GM-in-waiting rather than the new guy to change the way people view him or did he already have that respect based on 15 years? Because if the first one I quoted is true, than he didn't need to be anointed GM-in-waiting and your argument for why he needed to be was just hot air.

If he had earned the respect as an executive by being a player, then they could have brought him in as AGM, not announced he would take over, This would let him develop his skills at the pace he needs, not according to a timeline. Let him earn respect as an executive on his own not because the boss said so,. It would let him transition into power when and if he was ready. It also would give us an out if he did not take to the literal dozen of different areas they said he needs to learn in the press conference.

I don’t think he is contradicting himself here. There is a difference between respect, credibility, and perception. The respect Steen earned previously in his roles, or any disdain for that matter, is not going away. Now Steen has been promoted to a new role, and anointed as the next heir apparent, of course this is going to change how people view him and his action will be scrutinized more. This is the perception. Blueston thinks this will make it easier for Steen, I disagree and think it will make it harder for him, but Blueston is right that Steen’s credibility just went up. A bunch of respected people in this organization (Including the owner) just vouched for him. Whatever Steen does over the next few years all three of those things will be front and center in any Interaction that he has.

The best analogy I believe, is Steen is like an enlisted solider being promoted to a junior officer in the military. If you ever watched Band of Brothers you know that the Military had/has regulations to transfer any officer promoted from enlisted ranks to a new unit. Fearing his previous comrades wouldn’t respect his new rank and authority. A precaution not needed or wanted in that episode. Much the same here Stillman, and Armstrong feel the opposite and believe that Steen can deal with this additional burden. The only logical reason for this imho is they feel the respect Steen has earned in this organization can overcome any negative headwinds he is about to face.

You postulated that if this had been some no name scout or player from without the organization that people here wouldn’t be so excited about the news. I agree I wouldn’t have been. However, I think the person that would have fit that billing nearly 20 years ago was Doug Armstrong himself. No one else can know what Steen is about to deal with for the next several years better than Armstrong. A somewhat comforting thought, if Steen isn’t up for the task, Armstrong will hopefully see it.

As I said previously I wish they had kept the succession plans private. Chiefly because, I feel it makes Steen’s path harder not easier. However, it speaks volumes on how much respect Stillman and Armstrong must have for Steen and how they must feel he is mutually respected in the organization to lay these additional burdens on him. Perhaps that gives you some piece of mind it slightly does so for me.

 

[Xerloris]

Blueston:


Also Blueston:


Which is it? Did he need to be anointed GM-in-waiting rather than the new guy to change the way people view him or did he already have that respect based on 15 years? Because if the first one I quoted is true, than he didn't need to be anointed GM-in-waiting and your argument for why he needed to be was just hot air.

If he had earned the respect as an executive by being a player, then they could have brought him in as AGM, not announced he would take over, This would let him develop his skills at the pace he needs, not according to a timeline. Let him earn respect as an executive on his own not because the boss said so,. It would let him transition into power when and if he was ready. It also would give us an out if he did not take to the literal dozen of different areas they said he needs to learn in the press conference.

Anyone with common sense can see that Blueston was referring to 15 years to Blues fans, not the rest of the league and not to other Gm's around the league. Annointing him the future GM lets other teams and GM's know he speaks for the team.

"Are you as tired of yourself as we all are" SOUNDED like an insult? f*** off. How is that not insulting?

This is my legitimate opinion. I have given several reasons I hold it. A few other respected posters hold the same opinions, but you are not insulting them. You will not have to worry about me responding to your posts in the future with my tiresome opinion.

It's often that you're insulted when people call out your bullshit.

 

[ezcreepin]

Blueston:


Also Blueston:


Which is it? Did he need to be anointed GM-in-waiting rather than the new guy to change the way people view him or did he already have that respect based on 15 years? Because if the first one I quoted is true, than he didn't need to be anointed GM-in-waiting and your argument for why he needed to be was just hot air.

If he had earned the respect as an executive by being a player, then they could have brought him in as AGM, not announced he would take over, This would let him develop his skills at the pace he needs, not according to a timeline. Let him earn respect as an executive on his own not because the boss said so,. It would let him transition into power when and if he was ready. It also would give us an out if he did not take to the literal dozen of different areas they said he needs to learn in the press conference.

I'm not really sure what Steen's responsibilities will be in this role. Will they be significantly different than AGM? Will he be orchestrating trades and helping make phone calls on players? It's really anyone's guess what exactly he will do, but I have a hard time believing the transition will be any different than how Dubas came into the league. And given Steen's respect among players, his career, and work ethic, I think it'll be a smoother transition speaking with other teams for Steen than it was for Dubas. Also, just the shear fact that it's the Blues and not the Leafs already gives Steen some benefit, despite what some people will say.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

There is an interesting discussion to have here, and I hope it doesn't get derailed by this inconsequential disagreement. (I didn't think Blueston's comments were contradictory either. But I also think there is a lot of merit to the criticism of the early announcement.)

A couple points:
- I really don't think we have enough information to know whether the early announcement is a mistake. If I were in Steen's position, I'd want some certainty that this path was really going to happen. My guess is that this was Stillman's decision to do it this way.

- I think this entire arrangement shows a lot of mutual respect and mutual trust between Steen and Armstrong. I view that as a big positive. We aren't going to see a jarring change in vision with a new GM, and that could potentially happen with a more experienced candidate. Possibly for the better, but you'd want to make the wholesale change in authority YESTERDAY if the Blues were going to pursue a different blueprint for the re-something.

 

[Xerloris]

There is an interesting discussion to have here, and I hope it doesn't get derailed by this inconsequential disagreement. (I didn't think Blueston's comments were contradictory either. But I also think there is a lot of merit to the criticism of the early announcement.)

A couple points:
- I really don't think we have enough information to know whether the early announcement is a mistake. If I were in Steen's position, I'd want some certainty that this path was really going to happen. My guess is that this was Stillman's decision to do it this way.

- I think this entire arrangement shows a lot of mutual respect and mutual trust between Steen and Armstrong. I view that as a big positive. We aren't going to see a jarring change in vision with a new GM, and that could potentially happen with a more experienced candidate. Possibly for the better, but you'd want to make the wholesale change in authority YESTERDAY if the Blues were going to pursue a different blueprint for the re-something.

For sure, it's kind of a weird situation but none of us are professionals in the hockey world so all we can do is speculate.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

An overlooked part to the succession plan and i think a big reason for it is the fact that DA openly admitted last season he was having a hard time relating/communicating with the younger generation of talent on the roster. With our roster all but guaranteed to be getting younger and younger over the next few seasons, Steen will give DA a much needed younger/more relatable liason of sorts to help him relay his vision/message. I think it could work well if implemented correctly, but ive also been a DA supporter and dont mind him still being a big part of this current re-tool.

 

[MissouriMook]

I’ll betcha that Steen takes over a year sooner than expected.

That’s certainly possible. It is also possible that it gets pushed back a year. With or without a public announcement.

I don’t understand this notion that because they made this announcement it is now intractable and that they will be forced to live with the arrangement regardless of Steen’s progress in the role. Other companies do this sort of thing internally all the time, just generally without the contract elements. Being a sports franchise, that and the higher level of transparency with the fan base just comes with the territory.

 

[Reality Czech]

That’s certainly possible. It is also possible that it gets pushed back a year. With or without a public announcement.

I don’t understand this notion that because they made this announcement it is now intractable and that they will be forced to live with the arrangement regardless of Steen’s progress in the role. Other companies do this sort of thing internally all the time, just generally without the contract elements. Being a sports franchise, that and the higher level of transparency with the fan base just comes with the territory.

I wouldn't be surprised if one reason they announced it now is to calm down the increasingly negative fan base. If the team doesn't get better in the next year or two (which is likely considering we're in a retool/rebuild/refocus phase), then the fans will get more and more impatient for some sort of changes. By announcing this now, it gives the anti-Armstrong crowd a light at the end of the tunnel and bringing back a beloved ex-Blue like Steen brings a little excitement and positivity to a fan base that has had to suffer through two whole below average seasons after a very successful decade.

 

[ezcreepin]

One thing that I wonder is how much will Steen's view of what a team should be differ compared to Army's view? Armstrong has been a GM for a long time, gone through multiple rule changes, interacted with many different people and teams, and won championships on two different clubs. He has the benefit of time to see what can and does work from a managerial standpoint, but Steen has more recently played and actually won the cup on the ice. He's seen the players, coaching, disagreements, and come-togethers in a way that Armstrong could never. Who gets the advantage in that instance?

Obviously Army hasn't played in today's NHL, but Steen has competed against the toughest competition through the 2010s. I think it would be naive to say Armstrong doesn't realize he shouldn't have let Petro walk, but Steen may be able to identify players that are more closely aligned to the type of guy you want on a championship team. Stenberg feels like a carbon copy of Steen, Dvorsky resembles O'Reilly, Lindstein to Bouw, Kaskimaki seems Bozak-lite(?). I think we're going to see some more Steen infused players drafted in this years draft, so I'll be curious to see how he wants the team to shape out. I think it's clear that Steen is getting a lot of say in who we ought to draft more recently.

 

[tfriede2]

I wouldn't be surprised if one reason they announced it now is to calm down the increasingly negative fan base. If the team doesn't get better in the next year or two (which is likely considering we're in a retool/rebuild/refocus phase), then the fans will get more and more impatient for some sort of changes. By announcing this now, it gives the anti-Armstrong crowd a light at the end of the tunnel and bringing back a beloved ex-Blue like Steen brings a little excitement and positivity to a fan base that has had to suffer through two whole below average seasons after a very successful decade.

I don’t think that fan base is that negative yet; if the Blues’ decision on the timing of this announcement were to be influenced by fan perceptions and feelings about the state and direction of the team, then I think it would have made more sense to delay this announcement until after next season or thereafter, as I don’t envision this team being any better next year. But, I don’t think their decision was influenced at all, so it’s a moot point from my perspective anyway.

 

[tfriede2]

One thing that I wonder is how much will Steen's view of what a team should be differ compared to Army's view? Armstrong has been a GM for a long time, gone through multiple rule changes, interacted with many different people and teams, and won championships on two different clubs. He has the benefit of time to see what can and does work from a managerial standpoint, but Steen has more recently played and actually won the cup on the ice. He's seen the players, coaching, disagreements, and come-togethers in a way that Armstrong could never. Who gets the advantage in that instance?

Obviously Army hasn't played in today's NHL, but Steen has competed against the toughest competition through the 2010s. I think it would be naive to say Armstrong doesn't realize he shouldn't have let Petro walk, but Steen may be able to identify players that are more closely aligned to the type of guy you want on a championship team. Stenberg feels like a carbon copy of Steen, Dvorsky resembles O'Reilly, Lindstein to Bouw, Kaskimaki seems Bozak-lite(?). I think we're going to see some more Steen infused players drafted in this years draft, so I'll be curious to see how he wants the team to shape out. I think it's clear that Steen is getting a lot of say in who we ought to draft more recently.

I think the drafting is the most interesting piece in the short term, as Steen now has a very, very vested interest in who we draft; Armstrong may be giving him ultimate authority on who we draft this year (who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did). DA is in charge, and he typically defers to his scouting staff, but the players drafted 2 weeks from now will be playing under Steen as GM, not DA. Whoever we pick, I think will have Steen’s stamp of approval. I could envision a scenario, for example, where Connelly (or whoever) is still on the board and BPA according to our scouts, but Steen vetoes. I would love to be in the know on these dynamics.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

That’s certainly possible. It is also possible that it gets pushed back a year. With or without a public announcement.

I don’t understand this notion that because they made this announcement it is now intractable and that they will be forced to live with the arrangement regardless of Steen’s progress in the role. Other companies do this sort of thing internally all the time, just generally without the contract elements. Being a sports franchise, that and the higher level of transparency with the fan base just comes with the territory.

BINGO

 

[ezcreepin]

I think the drafting is the most interesting piece in the short term, as Steen now has a very, very vested interest in who we draft; Armstrong may be giving him ultimate authority on who we draft this year (who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did). DA is in charge, and he typically defers to his scouting staff, but the players drafted 2 weeks from now will be playing under Steen as GM, not DA. Whoever we pick, I think will have Steen’s stamp of approval. I could envision a scenario, for example, where Connelly (or whoever) is still on the board and BPA according to our scouts, but Steen vetoes. I would love to be in the know on these dynamics.

I could absolutely see a scenario where we go Helenius (it would be a no brainer if he falls), MBN, Freij, or Solberg rather than someone like Sennecke, Greentree, or Elick just based on Steen being adamant about those players. I think if we see a Euro player drafted in the 16 spot and it's a player that was scouted to go in the 20s, then it was likely a Steen call.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I think the drafting is the most interesting piece in the short term, as Steen now has a very, very vested interest in who we draft; Armstrong may be giving him ultimate authority on who we draft this year (who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did). DA is in charge, and he typically defers to his scouting staff, but the players drafted 2 weeks from now will be playing under Steen as GM, not DA. Whoever we pick, I think will have Steen’s stamp of approval. I could envision a scenario, for example, where Connelly (or whoever) is still on the board and BPA according to our scouts, but Steen vetoes. I would love to be in the know on these dynamics.

Army, as I understand it, basically seta what we prioritize in draft and the scouts then rank the players according to that framework under direction of our head scout. Steen may want to prioritize different aspects (size or skating or hockey sense or whatever) than Army does, and I would expect that is where you may see some differences manifest. And he may be more plugged into some of the guys playing in Sweden so he likely will weigh in on that, but I don't expect that we will see dramatic change in how we approach the draft due to Steen's promotion.

 

[BlueSeal]

Blueston:


Also Blueston:


Which is it? Did he need to be anointed GM-in-waiting rather than the new guy to change the way people view him or did he already have that respect based on 15 years? Because if the first one I quoted is true, than he didn't need to be anointed GM-in-waiting and your argument for why he needed to be was just hot air.

If he had earned the respect as an executive by being a player, then they could have brought him in as AGM, not announced he would take over, This would let him develop his skills at the pace he needs, not according to a timeline. Let him earn respect as an executive on his own not because the boss said so,. It would let him transition into power when and if he was ready. It also would give us an out if he did not take to the literal dozen of different areas they said he needs to learn in the press conference.

Hasn’t Steen been running a team overseas?

 

[Louie the Blue]

Blueston:


Also Blueston:


Which is it? Did he need to be anointed GM-in-waiting rather than the new guy to change the way people view him or did he already have that respect based on 15 years? Because if the first one I quoted is true, than he didn't need to be anointed GM-in-waiting and your argument for why he needed to be was just hot air.

If he had earned the respect as an executive by being a player, then they could have brought him in as AGM, not announced he would take over, This would let him develop his skills at the pace he needs, not according to a timeline. Let him earn respect as an executive on his own not because the boss said so,. It would let him transition into power when and if he was ready. It also would give us an out if he did not take to the literal dozen of different areas they said he needs to learn in the press conference.

They are bringing him in as an assistant GM, though. Yes, he's GM in waiting, but his current title will is assistant GM.

 

[TK 421]

The press conference left me with the impression that Steen will be given a tremendous amount of power right off the bat. He's already the key voice they're listening to at the draft and the named eventual shot caller so it stands to reason that he'd not just be contributing on any decisions being made, but might have the final call if they're allowing him to start implementing his vision now.

To me it sounded like Doug isn't going to be handing out any more UFA deals unless it's a stop gap 1 year contract and he'll leave Steen the room to shape his own roster in doing so. It looks like Steen will have a deciding vote immediately rather than in 2026 and Doug's own comments signal his change in approach to one that directly supports and sets up his successor as opposed to continuing his own vision.

This works out well for us as there won't be anymore attempts by Doug to fix the D while handing out term in the process. That can be where Steen's vision for the team takes over and hopefully he gets Lindstein and a few other pieces to help give him some internal options while he's doing it. He's already got an army of forward prospects to work with when reshaping his group up front so it's the next moves involving defense that could be defining moves for him and they're the more likely big money UFA or trade type moves as we don't exactly have a plethora of those guys just laying around. He's also inheriting 4 D with significant term and salary so he's stuck watching some term burn off those deals before he has enough room to make significant changes there anyway. The big take away here is Doug is no longer making final decisions on giving term to anyone, he's signing filler and allowing Steen the cap space to reshape his own roster and that starts now, not in 2026.

Another big plus is we get a continuation of Doug Armstrong in asset acquisition mode and he's a beast in this setting. This guy will combo up his roster players for extra 1sts like O'Ciari for Stenberg and Tar-ikkola for Lindstein so we'll be in for an exciting draft if Buch is actually being shopped. Again, Steen's vision but Armstrong's hands on negotiating the trades and executing the role until 2026.

 

[kimzey59]

The press conference left me with the impression that Steen will be given a tremendous amount of power right off the bat. He's already the key voice they're listening to at the draft and the named eventual shot caller so it stands to reason that he'd not just be contributing on any decisions being made, but might have the final call if they're allowing him to start implementing his vision now.

To me it sounded like Doug isn't going to be handing out any more UFA deals unless it's a stop gap 1 year contract and he'll leave Steen the room to shape his own roster in doing so. It looks like Steen will have a deciding vote immediately rather than in 2026 and Doug's own comments signal his change in approach to one that directly supports and sets up his successor as opposed to continuing his own vision.

This works out well for us as there won't be anymore attempts by Doug to fix the D while handing out term in the process. That can be where Steen's vision for the team takes over and hopefully he gets Lindstein and a few other pieces to help give him some internal options while he's doing it. He's already got an army of forward prospects to work with when reshaping his group up front so it's the next moves involving defense that could be defining moves for him and they're the more likely big money UFA or trade type moves as we don't exactly have a plethora of those guys just laying around. He's also inheriting 4 D with significant term and salary so he's stuck watching some term burn off those deals before he has enough room to make significant changes there anyway. The big take away here is Doug is no longer making final decisions on giving term to anyone, he's signing filler and allowing Steen the cap space to reshape his own roster and that starts now, not in 2026.

Another big plus is we get a continuation of Doug Armstrong in asset acquisition mode and he's a beast in this setting. This guy will combo up his roster players for extra 1sts like O'Ciari for Stenberg and Tar-ikkola for Lindstein so we'll be in for an exciting draft if Buch is actually being shopped. Again, Steen's vision but Armstrong's hands on negotiating the trades and executing the role until 2026.

Don't get this take at all.

1- There was a statement in the presser to the effect of "(Steen) had his eyes opened during the draft discussions last week".
That tells me right there that Steen doesn't have much input just yet(and IMO completely dispels the myth that last years Draft was strongly influenced by him).

2- Army openly talked about his desire to get to 1000 wins. He's currently sitting at 811. 1000 is certainly out of reach within the next 2 years, but I think Army's going to be fighting like a hungry dog on a steak to get to 900. I think that's the benchmark he's set for himself. And that won't happen if all he's doing is facilitating a sell-off.
Army's going to build a team that expects to win. Steen will be there as his shadow, and will certainly have input; but Army still has some unfinished business that he wants to take care of before he hands over the reigns.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Army's tenure as straight POHO is a relatively short one. I can absolutely see him stepping back into a GM spot at some point to try to get to 1000; it just won't be here.

 

[TurgPavs]

It was pretty much impossible for Army to do a worse job than Pleau.

Pleau had his moments and had some solid deals. The guy essentially had to rebuild a farm system after nearly 20+ years of Caron and Keenan giving two turds about any sort of pipeline.
Caron might single handily been the worst GM in the NHL for 10+ years. I would imagine other GM's around the league would take a call from Caron, hear his voice and say "WE WLL TAKE IT!"

For Pleau, I will never understand why he decided to tear apart a young, close, talented team, after the 2001 WCF's loss, which included the asinine trade for Doug Weight.

I still cant believe the Pronger trade happened, however that was controlled by the ownership who wanted 2 of the salaries, of Weight, Tkachuk, Pavs, and Pronger gone.
But still, that was easily the worst trade in Blues history.

 

[TurgPavs]

On Steen being named a GM in waiting.....its freaking weird.
The Blues just named a guy with ZERO NHL GM experience, to become the GM of the Blues?
To get him ramped up, he will have 2 years in a assistant GM role?

The Blues are valued at roughly 900 million - 1 billion, depending on what you look at. Forbes comes in at 990 million, and you are handing over the GM role to basically a intern, who has spent little time in the front office environment in the NHL.
And with this announcement, you have crapped all over everyone who is currently employed in the front office.
Did Steen at least go thru the Enterprise Car Rental Training Program?

 

[bleedblue1223]

Pleau had his moments and had some solid deals. The guy essentially had to rebuild a farm system after nearly 20+ years of Caron and Keenan giving two turds about any sort of pipeline.
Caron might single handily been the worst GM in the NHL for 10+ years. I would imagine other GM's around the league would take a call from Caron, hear his voice and say "WE WLL TAKE IT!"

For Pleau, I will never understand why he decided to tear apart a young, close, talented team, after the 2001 WCF's loss, which included the asinine trade for Doug Weight.

I still cant believe the Pronger trade happened, however that was controlled by the ownership who wanted 2 of the salaries, of Weight, Tkachuk, Pavs, and Pronger gone.
But still, that was easily the worst trade in Blues history.

Weight was overpaid, but that was still a good trade. Weight never really had proper linemates to suit him, and he still had pretty good numbers for his era. In 02/03, he was 23rd in points/game among forwards with 41+ games played. I'd take the years of Weight and McDonald over Hecht and the 2nds that Edmonton received for 1 year of Hecht and even Weight and McDonald vs Hecht in Edmonton and Buffalo. Add in Berglund from the other Weight deal.

Maybe keeping Hecht, Handzus, and Nagy would've changed our path, but I don't think that path would've been a Cup.

 

[TK 421]

Don't get this take at all.

1- There was a statement in the presser to the effect of "(Steen) had his eyes opened during the draft discussions last week".
That tells me right there that Steen doesn't have much input just yet(and IMO completely dispels the myth that last years Draft was strongly influenced by him).

2- Army openly talked about his desire to get to 1000 wins. He's currently sitting at 811. 1000 is certainly out of reach within the next 2 years, but I think Army's going to be fighting like a hungry dog on a steak to get to 900. I think that's the benchmark he's set for himself. And that won't happen if all he's doing is facilitating a sell-off.
Army's going to build a team that expects to win. Steen will be there as his shadow, and will certainly have input; but Army still has some unfinished business that he wants to take care of before he hands over the reigns.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Army's tenure as straight POHO is a relatively short one. I can absolutely see him stepping back into a GM spot at some point to try to get to 1000; it just won't be here.

Yeah we just disagree.

I heard Armstrong admitting openly that he's no longer pursuing his vision of building the team and that Steen is already being relied on for input. You heard that Armstrong still wants to rack up wins for a personal accomplishment. From Doug's tone during the presser to the actual words he used he it didn't sound to me like a guy that cares about getting more wins, in fact he had a quote where he said he could, "....easily manage another 10 years.." but he obviously feels he'd be doing the team a disservice by doing so. That presser was about Doug realizing he's out of touch and that he needs to start implementing the handoff to a younger mind that's more in touch with today's player.

He had an owner willing to pay him until he wants to retire and had to talk said owner into letting someone else be the GM in two years. That doesn't sound like a guy who wants to be a GM again after his run as POHO, not here or anywhere.