Some have suggested that Blues defenseman Colton Parayko could be an intriguing candidate to receive an increasingly rare offer sheet. However, GM Doug Armstrong confirmed to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they will match any offer made to the 24 year old.
Parayko is coming off a strong sophomore season that saw him collect 35 points (4-31-35) in 81 games while also seeing his average ice time jump to over 21 minutes per night. He also made a strong impression with Team Canada at the World Championships where he picked up three goals and four assists in just six games. With Kevin Shattenkirk now gone, Parayko stands to benefit from more power play time which could have him primed for a nice boost offensively. He’s due a qualifying offer of just over $874K from the Blues and will stand to earn a lot more than that when a deal gets done.
Elsewhere in the West:
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News speculates that pending unrestricted free agent winger Patrick Sharp prefers to either stay in Dallas in free agency or return to the Blackhawks. The latter option doesn’t seem like too much of a realistic possibility given their cap situation at the moment which could put Dallas in the drivers’ seat. Sharp isn’t expected to receive a clean bill of health until late August or early September after undergoing season-ending hip surgery after the trade deadline which makes him a candidate to be on the open market well beyond the beginning of July.
- The Coyotes are asking top center prospect Dylan Strome to add a lot more strength this offseason as he makes another push at a regular roster spot, writes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. The third overall pick in 2015 has had no issues scoring at the junior level – he had 75 points (22-53-75) in 35 games with Erie this season – but he has had issues dealing with the size and strength of NHL defenders in his brief stints with the Coyotes. As a result, Strome will spend the summer in Arizona working with team personnel as he looks to make a push for a full-time spot next season.
- Predators forward Colin Wilson took the morning skate today in advance of tonight’s Stanley Cup Game Three matchup against the Penguins, notes Adam Vingan of The Tennessean (Twitter link). He has missed the first two games of the series due to an unspecified injury. Early indications are that he likely won’t be available to play tonight but the fact he’s skating suggests he may be ready at some point in the series.