Hey, there’s a time to just get real and admit that the St. Louis Blues probably aren’t going anywhere in 2025 barring some miracle after the 4 Nations Face-Off concludes. And that’s okay, even if the optimists in us will be disappointed.
But did we ever once think the Blues had a real chance to compete with some of the top-tier organizations in the Central and Pacific Divisions? Look, while the Blues gave its fans moments through the first two-thirds of the campaign, it just wasn’t happening. They weren’t good enough.
But they got better and found a few contributors who will continue to help them this season and well into the future. It also means they’re primarily selling some assets at the trade deadline. The only question is, who?
Don’t worry, I don’t see them moving any star players elsewhere. Instead, look for them to pawn off some lower liners who will add another layer of physicality to a contender. That, and I also have one defenseman listed who underperformed this year, but could still provide value with a change of scenery.
Radek Faksa
Few have given the Blues more value winning defensive zone faceoffs than Radek Faksa, and that’s what will draw so much attention from other teams who need to build their lower lines. It shows Faksa, who’s won 258 and 54.9 percent of his faceoffs this season, can play sound hockey when involved in clutch scenarios.
As a player who’s ended several seasons getting a fair share of Selke votes, Faksa can also provide strong defensive play for a team that lacks or needs to upgrade it, especially among forwards. He’s also one of the edgier players in the league, having delivered 81 body checks in 44 games, a number that will skyrocket when the sense of urgency increases in March.
No, he’s not one to showcase his offensive skillset, something that continued during his time so far with the Blues. Faksa has just three goals and 10 points in those 44 games, and he’s never garnered over 33 points in an entire season.
Faksa’s experience would also make him a worthwhile pickup for a team that needs it. Before coming to the Lou, Faksa spent his NHL career in Dallas, where he’d seen his team make several deep playoff runs. That said, Faksa isn’t a dynamic player, but given his experience and willingness to pitch in and do the dirty work, he’ll be a trendy trade deadline name.
Nathan Walker
Trading away some of these lower liners like Radek Faksa and Nathan Walker has nothing to do with their overall inability to put points on the board. Still, Walker has shown his worth in the scoring realm, picking up six goals and a 14.3 shooting percentage, so he brings a little value as a depth scorer.
But there are two areas where Walker brings even more value to would-be contenders, especially those who need an insurance policy. For one, his 168 hits show us he can add an edge to any lineup, and that’s pivotal when playoff hockey rolls around. And no, I’m not talking about playoff hockey after the 82-game season is finished.
Walker doesn’t take them often, but he can win faceoffs when asked to take them on. So far in 2024-25, he’s taken 134 faceoffs and won 74 of them. That’s good for a 55.2 faceoff win percentage, so he’s there if a team needs him.
No, the Blues probably won’t get much for Walker, as he’s nothing more than a fringe fourth-liner on an upper-echelon team. But moving him makes room for younger players who deserve a look if and when the Blues get eliminated from contention.
Justin Faulk
Some players just struggle through rough seasons, and that’s the vibe Justin Faulk has brought all year. And yep, I’m saying ‘vibe,’ even if that word is outlawed in some hockey circles thanks to the stats and analytics age we live in.
But I wouldn’t be using the term if I didn’t have some cold, hard numbers backing those vibes. We’re used to seeing Faulk finish with, at worst, a half-point per game. We saw it last year when he put up a pair of goals and 30 points, and he went over that threshold in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
This season, he’s scored his two goals but has garnered just 19 total points. And with Faulk now in his age-32 campaign, the Blues need to set forth in a different direction, which involves the team to keep getting younger. That won’t be the case if the likes of Faulk stick around, so consider February to be his swan song in Gateway City.
Trading Faulk also shouldn’t mean the Blues are giving up on the season. No, the playoffs don’t look like a possibility this year as they’re currently behind even the Utah Hockey Club at the moment. But they also need to remember that they’re in the middle of a retooling phase.