The St. Louis Blues have placed a high asking price for veteran defenseman Colton Parayko, according to TSN's Bruce Garrioch.
Just days before the NHL trade deadline, reports revealed that the Buffalo Sabres were willing to match the St. Louis Blues’ high asking price for veteran defenseman Colton Parayko.
The deal ultimately fell through when Parayko exercised his no-trade clause to decline the trade. Parayko went on to finish the season with the Blues and formed a steady partnership with rookie Theo Lindstein.
Although Parayko wasn’t traded during the season, some insiders have indicated that the Blues could revisit Parayko trade discussions in the off-season.
Parayko just completed the fourth year of the eight-year, $6.5 million AAV contract he signed with the Blues. The 33-year-old will have the no-trade clause on his contract until the end of the 2027-28 season, after which it will become a modified 15-team no-trade clause.
While Parayko has the right to decline a trade, the Blues can still attempt to move him to a team he might be willing to go to.
A recent report from TSN’s Bruce Garrioch indicates that the Ottawa Senators could be one of those teams that make a push to acquire him.
That won’t be easy for the Senators, or any team interested in acquiring Parayko, as Garrioch reports that the Blues are asking for a high-end prospect and a first-round pick.
Parayko brings a skill set that very few players in the NHL can match. Standing 6-foot-6, Parayko is a solid defender, capable of using his size to protect the front of the net. Additionally, he moves well enough to defend the rush and move the puck fairly efficiently.
But Parayko also brings a wealth of experience from playing at the highest level. Parayko has skated in 800 NHL games, won a Stanley Cup in 2019, and recently represented Canada at the Olympics and the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Parayko has been a leader on the Blues for quite some time now, and could be a candidate to take the captaincy if soon-to-be-GM Alexander Steen elects to keep him on the roster.
Whatever happens with Parayko, all that is for certain is that he will help whatever team he ends up with. Whether he stays with the Blues as they attempt to regroup and make the playoffs in the coming years, or joins a Stanley Cup contender. Either an NHL club is better off having Parayko than not.
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