from Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

For those expecting the Blues to make a major roster turnover this offseason after yet another quick exit from the playoffs, here’s the reality: It won’t be easy.

For a team such as the Blues, which is up against the salary cap at a time when the salary cap isn’t going to change much, club officials’ hands effectively are tied. Moves will require trades — and unless the Blues can make a deal for draft picks or prospects, they usually require to be in the dollar-for-dollar neighborhood.

Change for the sake of change isn’t coming.

“What I don’t want to do is hurt the franchise long term, be a good headline tomorrow and then regret it for five or six years.’’ Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “No manager says. ‘I’m going to make a really bad trade.’ I don’t want to be the first. … To move player X for an inferior player doesn’t make you better.”

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