Blues still willing to swing for the fences on trades
/Solid Q&A from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch with Blues owner Tom Stillman, who admits to the organization’s ‘great disappointment’ with the early exit from the playoffs.
“We had very high expectations and we didn’t meet them,” Stillman noted. “So we licked our wounds for a while and now we’re back up and working on getting better for next year. It’s all we can do. We’re disappointed, we didn’t do what we thought we could do, but it’s not going to do us any good to pout about it or to throw anybody under the bus. We want to make sure our team is cohesive and performs well next year, so we’re moving forward and we’re going to do what we can to improve our performance. That’s all we can do.”
In terms of where he sees the team in terms of being well-positioned for success, or needing to make changes, Stillman was optimistic.
“As much as we were disappointed, at the same time it’s clear that we are not far away from breaking through. Mainly for that reason, I don’t think anybody is thinking that we should blow everything up. Also, even if somebody did think that, it’s not something that you can really do in today’s league. But, again, I don’t think that’s what is needed. The hockey (operations) people, led by (general manager Doug Armstrong), have made a lot of assessments, they’re continuing that work and they are looking at and working on anything that can make us a better team next year.”
He was also asked, in generalities only, about the hefty contracts signed and significant trades made and whether or not the lack of the desired results so far will impact the decision-making process in the future. Read into any specifics as you see fit.
“I think that when we make decisions, we need to look forward for the most part. I feel that the vast majority of the decisions we’ve made have panned out very well. I believe Doug has done an excellent job in assembling this roster and putting together trades and contracts that have made us a much stronger team. You’re not going to hit a home run every time you try something. But I don’t think you can react to that by pulling your horns in too much and never doing anything again. I think that would be counter-productive.”
Stillman was also asked specifics about the team’s budget for 2014-15, the lack of playoff revenue, Brett Hull’s performance, the speculation the team will change its uniforms for next season and more. Worthwhile read.