Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Colton Parayko

West Notes: Parayko, Ennis, Canucks

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko missed 21 games last season due to a lingering back issue which likely kept the price tag lower on the eight-year, $52MM extension he just signed.  Speaking with reporters, including Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the veteran indicated that his back has fully recovered but the treatment to get to that point has been minimal.  Instead of surgery or extensive rehab, Parayko has largely just rested to heal the injury, something that simply wasn’t an option during the season when he tried to play through it.  Expectations will be much higher for him heading into this coming season with that extension now in place and with the back injury behind him, he should be able to have a bigger impact offensively after recording just 12 points in 32 contests.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Veteran forward Tyler Ennis is among those still sitting in the UFA pool but Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that there are some teams that have shown tentative interest along the lines of circling back to him as a fallback plan. He lists the Canucks as one of the teams that may have shown interest so far.  The 31-year-old had a limited role with Edmonton last season, notching just nine points in 30 games while being a regular scratch.  Accordingly, he’s someone that may have to settle for a PTO at this point whether that’s with Vancouver or someone else.
  • With one successful offer sheet now being completed, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted in the latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the Canucks have been the team believed to be the most concerned about an offer sheet this summer. Of their two remaining RFAs, only center Elias Pettersson is eligible to receive one as defenseman Quinn Hughes falls under the 10.2c classification.  Friedman adds that talks are expected to pick up with both unsigned players after there were basically no discussions for all of August.

Colton Parayko Signs Eight-Year Extension

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have locked up one of their best players, signing Colton Parayko to an eight-year extension. The new contract will start in the 2022-23 season and keeps Parayko in St. Louis through 2029-30. The big defenseman will carry an average annual value of $6.5MM on the new deal, which totals $52MM. Parayko explained just what made him sign now:

I can’t wait to wear the Blue Note for another nine years. St. Louis has been my home now for six seasons, and this is where I want to be. All the relationships I’ve gained, the teammates I’ve had, and the organization have all had a big impact on me. Winning here in 2019 was special, and I want the chance to stay here and do that again.

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest provides the full breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $7.25MM
  • 2023-24: $8.0MM
  • 2024-25: $8.0MM
  • 2025-26: $8.0MM
  • 2026-27: $6.35MM
  • 2027-28: $4.8MM
  • 2028-29: $4.8MM
  • 2029-30: $4.8MM

Parayko, 28, was entering the final season of a five-year, $27.5MM deal he signed in 2017 and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The team seems to have created something of an internal cap, as his new deal will match the AAV of both Justin Faulk and Torey Krug at $6.5MM. That may actually represent a bargain for Parayko, though he hasn’t quite taken the step forward that many expected over the last few seasons.

Standing an imposing 6’6″, the 2012 third-round pick has everything you want in an NHL defenseman. He’s big, physical, can skate well, and has an incredibly accurate shot from the point. There’s no doubting his value to the Blues, which was perhaps demonstrated best in 2019 when he averaged more than 25 minutes a night during the Blues Stanley Cup run. But there also hasn’t been that giant leap offensively that some were expecting, with just 40 points combined over his last two seasons (96 games).

That’s not to say it couldn’t still happen, but Parayko appears to have settled in as a rock-solid top-four option, instead of a true number one defenseman. This deal represents exactly that, as he’ll be paid quite a bit less than some of the other pending free agent defensemen that have re-upped this summer. Still, getting an eight-year term is huge for Parayko, who could very well ride this contract through to the end of his career.

He’ll be 37 when the extension ends, which is where this contract brings plenty of risk for the Blues. Though he’s an extremely important player right now and very likely could have received a higher AAV on the open market, they’re going to be paying him as a top-four option throughout his decline phase and even into his late-thirties. That’s the price you pay for extra flexibility now, when GM Doug Armstrong believes his team can still compete for the Stanley Cup.

In fact, when you consider that Krug (30) and Faulk (29) are heading into just the second year of their own seven-year deals, this is a blueline that is going to be testing the limits of the aging curve in the NHL. All three players are going to carry a $6.5MM well into their thirties, meaning the time is now to strike at a league championship.

The Blues now have nearly $70MM already committed to just 14 players for the 2022-23 season, though Vladimir Tarasenko’s deal is still expected to be traded at some point. Armstrong went out and landed Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich this summer to add to the group, pushing his chips to the middle even if a few years down the road might look a little more difficult.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Central Notes: Parayko, Fiala, Nylander

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Players signed until the end of the 2021-22 season are eligible for contract extensions and there have been some notable ones handed out already.  One player that can get that next deal is Blues defenseman Colton Parayko but Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests it’s unlikely that such a move would happen anytime soon.  While St. Louis would undoubtedly love to keep the 28-year-old around, Parayko is coming off a tough injury-plagued year and accordingly, his value is far from its peak.  Waiting to see if he can bounce back is the more prudent move from Parayko’s end as doing so would allow him to get a bigger contract in the end.  He’s carrying a cap hit of $5.5MM for next season and he’ll need to get back to being a top-pairing performer if he’s going to get a sizable raise next summer.

More from the Central:

  • Wild GM Bill Guerin acknowledged to reporters including Sarah MacLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that while he would have loved to sign winger Kevin Fiala to a long-term deal, it just wasn’t feasible to do so. He did indicate that he’s still hopeful that he’ll be able to get a multi-year pact in place with the 25-year-old for 2022-23 and beyond although with the buyout charges they have on the books beyond next season, that could be a little more complicated.  Fiala avoided arbitration earlier this week with a one-year, $5.1MM contract that will also serve as his qualifying offer next offseason.
  • Blackhawks winger Alex Nylander told Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago that he has fully recovered from the knee injury that cost him all of last season. Nylander couldn’t even pinpoint when the injury occurred (or if there was a specific incident, even) other than that it was in the bubble but he has resumed skating without the issues that arose when he was gearing up for last season that eventually resulted in the surgery.  Nylander accepted his qualifying offer on Monday for just over $874K.

Roster Freeze Notes: Sharks, Flames, Dunn

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With NHL Expansion Draft protection lists due at 4:00pm CT today, the league has enacted a freeze in all roster transactions that goes into effect in less than an hour from now at 2:00pm CT and lasts through Thursday morning after the Expansion Draft is complete. NHL teams are not taking this deadline lightly; numerous reports suggest that the trade market is no less than a complete frenzy right now as teams look to use their expansion flexibility (or lack thereof) to make deals before the clock runs out. Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland spoke with an agent who said he has never seen so many players available for trade from so many teams.

One team that seems poised to make a move are the San Jose Sharks. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that the Sharks are attempting to add a goalie before the deadline. San Jose is likely to expose expensive, underperforming starter Martin Jones in the Expansion Draft and seemingly would be open to exposing young Josef Korenar as well if they can add another legitimate NHL goaltender worth protecting. Not many teams across the league have the luxury of adding a goalie before the expansion process begins, so the Sharks are trying to take advantage of a goalie market with far more sellers than buyers.

  • The Sharks are certainly not alone in pushing for a last-minute deal. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that among the most active teams are the Winnipeg Jets, who are shopping Mason Appleton, the Calgary Flames, and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks appear to be specifically targeting a landing spot for restricted free agent defenseman Nikita Zadorov, Garrioch notes. There has been some speculation that Chicago was not enthused about Zadorov’s asking price or potential arbitration award, but don’t necessarily want to expose him to Seattle and lose him for nothing in return. The Flames are far less single-minded; Garrioch calls the roster “unsettled” and believes that many players could be up for grabs.
  • St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn is out there in current trade discussions as well, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.  The 24-year-old has been in trade speculation for the last couple of years now but expansion could be the pressure point to get something completed.  Many expect St. Louis to use the standard protection scheme which allows for seven forwards and three defensemen.  The three blueliners expected to be protected in that scenario are veterans Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk which would leave Dunn unprotected and seemingly a prime target for the Kraken.  They could go to eight skaters to protect Dunn but would then leave three more forwards available to Seattle.  Accordingly, if the Blues want to get an asset for Dunn, today may be the last chance that can happen.

West Notes: Wild, Parayko, Lemieux

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Minnesota has had a strong first half to their season and are sitting comfortably in a playoff spot in the West Division and remain within striking distance of the top two seeds in Colorado and Vegas.  However, Wild GM Bill Guerin suggested to Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the team may not be overly active between now and April 12:

I’m really happy with our team right now. I’m happy with the job our players have done, and obviously our coaches have done a great job. Chemistry-wise, I think our team’s good. Unless something really makes us better, I don’t really feel the need to disrupt this group. If something will make us better, then we’ll do it. But I do see the chemistry that our team has, and that’s very important. To mix that up could be dangerous, but we’ll see.

Like many teams, one element that will limit what they even try to do is the salary cap.  Per CapFriendly, the Wild can only add about $2MM on deadline day which is hardly enough to try to make a splash.  If Guerin does opt to make a move then, it will likely have to be one that simply shores up their depth.

More from the West:

  • The Blues won’t have Colton Parayko back this weekend but his return appears to be on the horizon. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that the defenseman is not with the team for their two-game set in Colorado but he has been skating for more than a week now as he works his way back from a back injury.  The team has not yet ruled him out for Monday’s matchup against Vegas and he would be a huge boost to a St. Louis squad that has struggled as of late, dropping four straight and nine of their last 11 games.
  • The acquisition of Brendan Lemieux by the Kings over the weekend came as a bit of a surprise but Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the 25-year-old had asked for a trade from the Rangers which accelerated the process. Lemieux was believed to be seeking a larger role after averaging just over 10 minutes per game with New York prior to the move.  While he’s still in quarantine, Lemieux should be able to get that with Los Angeles, especially if they wind up moving a forward or two out between now and the trade deadline.

Injury Notes: Bozak, Trocheck, Bruins, Kings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a month-and-a-half on the sidelines, St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak is finally making some progress toward a return. Speaking to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Craig Berube displayed optimism when discussing the health of his veteran center, who was back at practice on Friday. “He’s gonna get some work here in the next few days and he could be available soon,” Berube said. “It’s good to see him out there and working… making some real good progress.” Bozak has not played since January 26th, when he was forced out of game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an apparent concussion. With the Blue about to embark on a six-game road trip, they will have to decide if bringing Bozak is the right move or if he requires additional time before his return. While St. Louis also just got Vladimir Tarasenko back and Oskar Sundqvist returned from a short-term injury, they could still use all the help they can get. Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jacob De La Rose, and more are still among the Blues’ injured.

  • The news on Carolina Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck does not sound as optimistic. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour tells The Athletic’s Sara Civian that Trocheck’s recent upper-body injury will keep him sidelined for “longer than hoped”. The coach held back on providing any definitive timeline, but any long-term absence for Trocheck will be a major loss for the team. In his first full season with the Hurricanes, Trocheck has been a point-per-game player and is tied with Sebastian Aho for the team’s scoring lead. If there is one silver lining for Carolina, it is that the injury occurred before the trade deadline; with a considerable amount of cap space, the ’Canes still have time to bring in help to make up for an extended period without Trocheck.
  • Back on the positive side, the Boston Bruins have been dealing with an onslaught of injuries for some time, but there could be some help on the way. Head coach Bruce Cassidy announced today that veteran defenseman Kevan Miller has resumed skating and is likely to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. Miller has been resting his surgically-repaired knee, but seems like he is ready to get back on the ice. Cassidy also said that defenseman Brandon Carlo is “coming around” and, while he is unsure if it will happen, there is at least some consideration that he could travel as well. This is the first concrete update on Carlo since he was hospitalized by a high hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, but its seems that Carlo will not be out for a lengthy period as many feared.
  • It’s a scary time for any unknown illness given the shadow of the Coronavirus, so the Los Angeles Kings played it safe and cancelled practice this morning, citing an “illness” spreading around the group. Head coach Todd McLellan and the Kings do not believe that this is COVID, but a seasonal virus. However, the team will wait to see what their latest batch of test results say. Defenseman Olli Maatta is currently on the league’s COVID Protocal Related Absences list, though Alex Iafallo missed the team’s last game with similar symptoms and did not test positive for COVID. Obviously, the hope of all involved is that this is what McLellan believe it to be: some unrelated bug going around the locker room.

Blues Activate Vladimir Tarasenko From LTIR

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Blues are getting a big boost to their lineup for their game versus Los Angeles tonight as the team announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko has been activated off LTIR and will be in the lineup for his season debut.  He had missed the entire season so far due to shoulder surgery and this will be his first regular season game in nearly 17 months.

When he has been in the lineup, Tarasenko has been one of the more consistent scoring threats in the league.  Between 2014-15 and 2018-19 (before the injuries began), he had at least 33 goals in every one of them, averaging just over 36 per year, making him a reliable top-liner in St. Louis’ lineup.

Of course, it would be hard to expect that from the 29-year-old now with how much time he has missed.  He played in just ten regular season games last season plus four more in the bubble so there is definitely going to be some rust to work off.  Fortunately for him and the Blues, the team is sitting in second place in the West Division and are eight points ahead of fifth-place Los Angeles.  They don’t necessarily need Tarasenko to step in and play a big role right away; they’ll be able to ease him in and allow him to work his way up.

Heading into the season, one of the storylines for Tarasenko’s eventual return was going to be how they would get back into salary cap compliance.  However, that has effectively been mitigated for now with so many other injuries.  Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, and Ivan Barbashev have all been placed on LTIR in recent weeks with their combined cap hits ($8.225MM) exceeding that of Tarasenko’s $7.5MM while Alex Steen ($5.75MM) is also there.

With St. Louis carrying the maximum 23 players on their active roster, they needed to make a move before they could activate Tarasenko.  That move is the placement of Colton Parayko on regular injured reserve.  The blueliner has missed eight straight games due to an upper-body injury and is eligible to be activated at any time but considering he’s not with the team on their current road trip, that’s unlikely to be happening soon.  Assuming he misses another two games as expected, he could also be transferred to LTIR if they need to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Blues, Kuznetsov, Larkin

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As the St. Louis Blues embark on a six-game road trip, they are leaving many of their top players behind. While Vladimir Tarasenko appears ready to be activated from the Long-Term Injured Reserve, many other Blues are not as lucky. Alex Steen and Carl Gunnarsson are out for the year, placed on LTIR, while Tyler Bozak, Ivan Barbashev, and Robert Thomas all remain sidelined on standard IR, and you can now add two more to the lengthy list of absences, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Colton Parayko and Jaden Schwartz also did not travel with the team. Due to the length of the trip, this implies that both are currently dealing with substantial injuries and will not be recovered within the next two weeks. This aligns with a recent report from The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford that suggest Parayko had been playing through a back injury but simply could not keep going, especially as his performance suffered. Surgery is a potential option for Parayko, but for now he is being given substantial rest and rehab in hopes that it can be avoided. Schwartz remains more unknown, only termed day-to-day thus far, but clearly his injury is more of the “week-to-week” variety. The Blues will have to hope for the best from their top options and trust their depth, as a long bout of the injury bug can be especially debilitating in a shortened season.

  • In some surprising news from earlier, Evgeny Kuznetsov was ruled out for the Washington Capitals’ Saturday matinee match-up. Kuznetsov has been diagnosed with an undisclosed upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day, but it is unknown when and how the injury occurred. According to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Kuznetsov was a full participant in practice on Friday, even getting in some early solo work. There is no word on if he will be available to the Capitals tomorrow for their re-match with the New Jersey Devils.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without their captain and leading scorer this weekend, the team announced. Dylan Larkin has been ruled out for Saturday and Sunday meetings with the rival Chicago Blackhawks and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. With Tyler Bertuzzi still sidelined as well, the league’s second-lowest scoring teams loses another major name from its short list of weapons.

West Notes: Karlsson, Lehner, Parayko, Walker

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Sharks will be without defenseman Erik Karlsson for at least the next two games, notes Jon Williams of NBC Sports Bay Area.  The veteran is dealing with another groin injury though it’s not believed to be related to his previous groin injuries.  Nevertheless, head coach Bob Boughner indicated yesterday to reporters, including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, that Karlsson’s injury is a nagging one that he had been playing through.  However, with just four assists in 13 games this season, it’s certainly fair to wonder if the veteran would be better served by sitting for a little while and trying to come back at full strength.  With a record-setting $11.5MM AAV, San Jose needs much more offense than they’ve received from Karlsson thus far and perhaps this groin issue is at least partially to blame.

Elsewhere in the West Division:

  • Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner isn’t expected to travel with the team for this weekend’s outdoor game at Lake Tahoe, reports David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). However, he is expected to return to the Vegas lineup sooner than later.  Lehner last played on February 7th and has been battling an upper-body injury.  Marc-Andre Fleury has been quite strong in his absence as he tries to retake his former number one role.
  • While the Blues are getting Marco Scandella and Torey Krug back tonight from their respective upper-body injuries, it’s not all good news for their back end as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays that Colton Parayko’s nagging injury is enough to keep him out of the lineup. The 27-year-old was expected to have a big season following the departure of Alex Pietrangelo but has managed just a goal and seven assists through 16 games and was only able to play 15 minutes on Monday against Arizona.
  • The Kings are close to welcoming back Sean Walker to their lineup as Lisa Dillman of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the defenseman is expected to play at some point on their six-game road trip. The 26-year-old has missed the last six games after undergoing nasal surgery after he took a slapshot to the face in late-January.

St. Louis Blues Name Ryan O’Reilly Captain

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues not only lost a Norris-level defenseman but also lost their captain when Alex Pietrangelo decided to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency. Today, one of those things has been restored, with the Blues’ announcement that Ryan O’Reilly will serve as captain moving forward. O’Reilly will be the 23rd captain in franchise history and is joined by Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Colton Parayko, who will serve as alternates. Blues head coach Craig Berube explained just why O’Reilly was the choice:

Ryan’s work ethic on and off the ice and his commitment day in and day out is second to none. He leads by example with how hard he works during practices and our games and he relays the right message from our coaching staff to our entire team.

O’Reilly, 29, has actually only been in St. Louis for two seasons but is already a franchise icon. The team’s second Conn Smythe winner, he led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019 with a playoff-leading 23 points in 26 games. That followed a 77-point season, a career-high of O’Reilly, but it’s really not even his offense that is so important to the team. The 2019 Selke Trophy winner is one of the very best defensive forwards in the entire world, shutting down the middle of the ice while always among the league leaders in faceoff wins. He has received votes for the Selke in each of the last ten seasons, starting when he was just a 19-year-old for the Colorado Avalanche.

Not only does O’Reilly drive offense and shut down opponents, but he also almost never takes a penalty, recording just 106 PIM over his 804-game career, 46 of those coming in his first three seasons. He won the Lady Byng trophy in 2014 when he took just a single minor penalty, a feat he repeated in 2017-18. Though that lack of penalties isn’t a flashy stat, it’s more important than you might think given that O’Reilly is so important on the penalty kill. When it’s never him serving, he’s always available to take crucial defensive-zone draws for the Blues.

All of that makes O’Reilly one of the best players on the Blues, but his leadership off the ice and camaraderie with teammates also likely made this an easy choice for the coaching staff. With three years left on his contract, St. Louis has found their leader for at least the next few seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top