The Olympics have given NHLers some much-needed downtime. The three-week hiatus is what has led to the compressed schedule this season. As a result, teams have played an unrelenting streak of back-to-backs and three games in four nights.
That situation had led just about every team in the league to limp across the finish line to the Olympic break. The situation is such that the league mandated rest time for players until February 17. At that point, teams can resume practices and other hockey-related activities.
That’s a crucial point because a team like the Blues could greatly benefit from the break. In particular, the break would allow the Blues to catch their breath and potentially find their second wind for the stretch run of the 2025-26 season.
One of the points I’ve made throughout the last month or so is that we have no idea how badly hurt most players are. We see them hit the ice, but we don’t really know how much pain they're going through or the sorts of injuries they may be dealing with.
As such, the Olympics will give players much-needed downtime to recover. In all fairness, most of the ailments that some players might be dealing with will take more than a couple of weeks to heal. But, in general terms, the downtime will go a long way towards helping players recover physically.
But there’s also another pivotal dimension that the layoff will also help.
Blues players will get a crucial mental-health break
One of the most unfair points about being a pro athlete is the enduring pressure. That pressure comes from all sides. Fans, sponsors, the media, just about everyone push players to be at their best.
That’s something that takes a mental and emotional toll on players. Just because NHLers don’t talk about the pressure that comes from pro hockey doesn’t mean it’s not there. That’s why the three-week downtime will greatly serve the Blues players to detox from the mental hardship that comes from this tough season.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to see the Blues come out of the gate feeling reinvigorated after taking time off. The mental reset could have a profound impact on how the Blues attack the remainder of the schedule.
While the ship may have sailed, fans shouldn’t count out the Blues. The Columbus Blue Jackets have shown that a solid winning streak can bring anyone back into the playoff race. The same could be said about the Blues.
Ultimately, the point would be to end the season on a strong note. Whether that culminates in a playoff appearance is secondary. The key here is capitalize on the opportunity to end the season on a high note.