The St. Louis Blues, as well as the rest of the NHL are rapidly approaching the 2025 4 Nations Faceoff. This tournament will showcase the NHL’s best, on four different teams represented by four different countries.
The United States, Sweden, Finland, and Canada will be the representing teams in this tournament. Each squad is full of NHL talent, and seeing these guys come together from opposite teams will be a joy to watch. This tournament will run from February 12 through February 20.
Here are three reasons why this will benefit the Blues.
In need of a break
Let's face it: this team needs a break. The Blues have been through a wide range of ups and downs all season, and it is time for them to have a hard reset. With the playoffs in sight, this is a great time to slow things down for a few days, re-focus on their strengths and weaknesses, and hammer it down in the final 20-some-odd games.
This break could be very useful for this team.
Two participants need this tournament
The Blues have two participants in this tournament, both with Team Canada. Defenseman Colton Parayko and goaltender Jordan Binnington will be representing the Blues. This is a great oppurtunity for them to continue their stellar seasons, and a break might hurt more then help.
Especially for Binnginton, who has been off this season. The goals-against-average of 2.86 is not as bad as it seems, and having three shutouts under his belt is tied with several goalies for third-most in the NHL. But, his record of 13-17-4 and save percentage of .898 is flabbergastedly bad. He needs to continue playing, as it will only help keep him warm and not sit around.
See the finish line
Once the Blues come back to action on February 22 against the Winnipeg Jets, they will have 25 games left in the season. That is 50 points up for grabs to make it into the playoffs. The finish line is in sight.
The few days of rest could help paint a clearer picture of the end of the season. If they are still within a handful of points of the playoffs by then, General Manager Doug Armstrong can start to look at the Trade Deadline as either a buyer or a seller.