Colton Parayko Won’t Waive Trade Protection Before The Deadline
After he nixed a trade that would have sent him to Buffalo, there was still some speculation that Blues defenseman Colton Parayko would approve a trade to a team that he’d be more interested in going to. However, that won’t be the case. On today’s TradeCentre broadcast on TSN (video link), Pierre LeBrun reported that the blueliner will not be waiving his no-trade protection before today’s trade deadline.
The 32-year-old has been a fixture on the back end in St. Louis for more than a decade now while making multiple international appearances as well, including in last month’s Olympics. That track record was enough to elicit what would have been a strong return from the Sabres, one that was believed to have included a top prospect in Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick, even though Parayko is in the middle of a down season offensively.
After putting up career highs in goals (16) and points (36) last season, he has just one tally along with 13 assists in 58 games this season and is now currently sidelined with back spasms. However, Parayko is still logging over 22 minutes of playing time per night with tough defensive matchups.
Parayko has four years left on his contract after this one with a $6.5MM price tag so it’s reasonable to think that his market would still be strong should teams decide to make a pitch for his services in the offseason. At that time, he might be more open to move depending on what the landscape is at the time while not having to immediately uproot his family.
In the meantime, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this result in an uptick in interest in another St. Louis right-shot defender, Justin Faulk. Signed through next season at a $6.5MM price tag, the 33-year-old has been speculated to be in play in recent days and doesn’t have full trade protection like Parayko, just a 15-team no-trade list. With the Blues unable to get anything for Parayko right now, GM Doug Armstrong redoubling his efforts to ensure he gets a strong return for Faulk and cash in on the demand for impact defenders would make a lot of sense.
Sabres’ Colton Parayko Trade Falls Through
3/5/26: Parayko has declined to waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. As a result, as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun noted, the reported trade will not happen.
On Frankly Hockey, Frank Seravalli indicated that Parayko is open to a trade from St. Louis, but will not accept a move to Buffalo, specifically. As frustrating as it may be for both clubs, it is Parayko’s right to dictate where he goes, given the no-trade protection in his contract.
Following Seravalli’s report, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes indicated that Parayko would prefer to stay in the Western Conference. Weekes specifically mentioned the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, though neither club has any known interest in adding another defenseman.
It’s unknown at this time if Mrtka and a first-round pick were the only pieces that would have headed to the Blues in the deal. If that’s the case, Buffalo had the opportunity to amass arguably the best defensive corps in the league.
Missing out on a player of Parayko’s stature will sting, but there are a few remaining options for the Sabres. Justin Faulk, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Logan Stanley, among others, are all options currently on the market that Buffalo could target. Depending on how long Buffalo negotiated with the Blues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them turn around and acquire Faulk.
Unfortunately, it does paint a negative picture for Buffalo. Despite the team being on fire this year and heading toward the postseason for the first time in a decade, they are still having trouble encouraging outside talent to join the team. Factoring in Seravalli’s report, it’s clear that Parayko simply didn’t want to head to New York.
Meanwhile, it’s not the best situation for St. Louis either. There’s no reporting on how many teams are interested in Parayko. If they’re unable to move him before the deadline tomorrow, it’ll become awkward at the very least. While it remains a business decision, Parayko’s connection to the community may lead to feelings of animosity regarding the situation, particularly since the trade was leaked before he had a chance to approve it.
Things can and will change fast this time of year. Over the last few days, Parayko and Tyler Myers have each had their names leaked in trade conversations, only to veto the trade. Still, given that he’s willing to consider different clubs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Parayko approve a trade somewhere else.
3/4/26: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Buffalo Sabres are moving toward acquiring defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues. Dreger noted that the trade is still being finalized and that both teams are waiting to see if Parayko will waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres. Dreger later added that defensive prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick will be a part of the deal. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that the framework of the trade is complete, but Parayko has not yet signed off on it.
It would obviously be a seismic trade for the Sabres, especially if nothing is coming off the NHL roster. Buffalo already has Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson in the top four of their defensive corps. Parayko has been on the top pairing in St. Louis for nearly a decade, and is signed through the 2029-30 season at an affordable $6.5MM salary.
Sabres, Blues Shifting Trade Talks To Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko
The Sabres made a big push yesterday to put themselves at the forefront to land top center Robert Thomas from the Blues. It appears whatever they put forth was a best-and-final offer and may not be enough to pry him away. Darren Dreger of TSN followed up this morning on yesterday’s report, saying that talks between Buffalo and St. Louis on Thomas “went the distance” but that it “sounds like the Sabres aren’t willing to part with the necessary pieces.”
That doesn’t mean talks between the two parties have ceased, though. Instead, they’ve transitioned to helping Buffalo address its paucity of right-shot defenders, with the team now expressing interest in Justin Faulk or Colton Parayko.
Faulk is viewed as the likelier of the two to move, presumably because of a slightly lower price tag. He’s been especially hot as of late, with five assists in his last five games, and is one of four Blues skaters to appear in all 60 games so far this season.
Alongside that durability, the soon-to-be 34-year-old has had an impressive year on both sides of the puck. Easily the brightest spot on their blue line, his 11-21–32 scoring line leads St. Louis D-men and is fourth on the team overall. He’s doing that while ranking second on the Blues in blocked shots with 101 behind Parayko’s 148. While his 47.5% Corsi For share at 5-on-5 isn’t all too impressive, the Blues have an even goal differential with him on the ice at 5-on-5. For how much he plays, averaging 22:30 per game in all situations, his -3 rating becomes a strong one on a team with a -52 goal differential.
Buffalo’s entire top four of Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson are lefties. Dahlin and Samuelsson have simply played too well together this season to break up, but it’s clear general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen is eyeing a name to plug into the second pairing alongside Byram or Power while bumping the other down to a third-pairing spot at even strength, giving them left-side depth last rivaled by the Lightning’s three-headed monster of Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Mikhail Sergachev during their Stanley Cup runs at the beginning of the decade.
Faulk and Parayko carry the same cap impact at $6.5MM. The former is easier to acquire, though not just because his somewhat weaker defensive reputation contributes to a lower price tag, but also because of his contract. He’s only signed through next season and has a 15-team no-trade list. Parayko, one year younger, is under contract through the 2029-30 season and, like Thomas, has a full no-trade clause that gives the Blues less maneuverability. With so much time left on his contract, the Blues are also in less of a rush to move him and squeeze value out of his deal.
Parayko, long regarded as a top-five shutdown defender in the league, has sat out of the Blues’ last two games due to back spasms. He’s also having quite a difficult season, amid being a virtual non-factor for Team Canada at the Olympics. His 14 points in 58 games are on pace for the worst offensive output of his 11-year career. His 44.9% Corsi For share at 5-on-5 ranks last among Blues defenders, and they’re getting outscored 54-38 with him on the ice at even strength.
At age 32, there’s likely some trepidation about committing for the rest of the decade if this season is more than just a flash in the pan. Faulk, whose contractual situation lies more in line with other targets Buffalo has expressed interest in, like Rasmus Ristolainen, is the more plausible outcome if the Sabres and Blues to manage to connect on a deal before Friday afternoon.
Central Notes: Mikheyev, Namestnikov, Stars, Parayko
The Blackhawks showed some interest in signing pending UFA winger Ilya Mikheyev to a contract extension but now, they’ve put his name out there in trade talks, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link). The 31-year-old has 11 goals and 12 assists in 53 games this season while averaging a career-high 17:17 per night of playing time. Mikheyev has a $4.0375MM cap charge with Chicago (Vancouver is covering the rest of his $4.75MM AAV) and the Blackhawks will need to further pay that down to maximize their return. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that the team might only be willing to go as high as two years on an extension offer for Mikheyev, albeit likely at an above-market rate. While that would allow him to potentially maximize his earnings and would keep in line with similar deals GM Kyle Davidson has done, this might be his last shot at a long-term contract. The stability of that might outweigh the value of getting top dollar.
More from the Central:
- Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left last night’s game with a lower-body injury, relays Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. The injury, which appeared to be a leg issue, happened early in the second period when he got tangled up with teammate Adam Lowry in the neutral zone. Head coach Scott Arniel told reporters including Wiebe (Twitter link) that the veteran is listed as out week-to-week. Namestnikov, who has been one of Winnipeg’s more versatile players this season, has seven goals and six assists through 57 outings.
- While he won’t be in the lineup tonight against Nashville, Stars center Roope Hintz is expected to skate tomorrow and travel with the team for their upcoming road trip, notes Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). He has been dealing with an illness since returning from the Olympics but it appears he’s at least nearing a return. Radek Faksa’s situation is a little more uncertain as Assimakopoulos adds that it’s unclear if he will accompany the team on the trip. The center suffered a lower-body injury at the Olympics and is currently on injured reserve although he is eligible to be activated at any time.
- Blues defenseman Colton Parayko will be scratched from today’s game against New Jersey due to back spasms, according to Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). Parayko was a regular for Canada at the Olympics and was a full participant on Thursday, logging over 21 minutes. Through 58 games this season, the 32-year-old has a goal and 13 assists along with 141 blocked shots.
Assessing The Blues’ Direction
The Blues are in a strange spot. They’re 31st in the league with a record of 20-26-9 and a goal differential of -54, tied for the worst in the NHL.
They’re very close to having the best odds to win the draft lottery, and while they aren’t technically out of the playoff hunt, they’re 10 points back of the Kings for the final Wild Card spot, and Los Angeles has games in hand. The Blues are likely finished for this season, and despite that, they haven’t fully committed to a rebuild, though they’re clearly not close to contending at the moment.
They have some good young players and a mix of veterans, some on bad contracts and others they probably want to trade, especially as the playoffs grow further away with each game.
St. Louis’ roster construction has been disjointed over the last few years with a mixed bag of moves. They’re far from alone in that regard. But what has been missing is a clear direction on how to sell to Blues fans, who are hoping for some signal that the team has a plan.
Entering the season, it looked as though the Blues were hoping to compete for a playoff spot, as they did last season. Those hopes have been dashed by inconsistent play and the struggles of core players Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington. You either sell winning or you sell hope, and this season the Blues haven’t been able to sell either. That will need to change in short order, and a clear direction needs to be established.
Of the players listed above, Thomas is the only one who hasn’t been constantly linked to trade rumours this season, but that has changed as of late. Kyrou, Parayko and Binnington have all been fodder for trade board segments across the hockey media and have been joined by teammates Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk.
In a perfect world, St. Louis would have a clear choice about who to move and who to keep. Still, some of the team’s previous moves have left them in a precarious spot, with their only real option being to retool rather than bottom out. They aren’t anywhere close to being a contender and already have several talented players and a very skilled coach in place.
Therein lies a big problem for the Blues. How do you tell Jim Montgomery that the team plans to sell off its veterans and go with younger players who are still finding their way in the NHL? It probably wouldn’t be popular with the veteran head coach.
The alternative is to continue pushing an aging roster into the playoffs and finishing in the middle of the standings, outside the postseason. Montgomery doesn’t need to look far to find a coach who was stuck in that spot for several seasons: Mike Sullivan, formerly of the Penguins.
Sullivan’s final three seasons with the team saw him try to will an aging lineup over the finish line, only to fall just outside the cut when it came to playoff time. Interestingly enough, Sullivan left the Penguins last summer to pursue a better opportunity with the Rangers, only to end up in the same position he had been in with Pittsburgh.
At the end of the day, for general manager Doug Armstrong, his job isn’t to please his coach; it’s to put together the best roster for the team he can and put the players in a position to win. Adding to an old, slow roster does nothing to accomplish that, and the Blues can’t make that the direction they go.
If there is anything we’ve learned in the last half-decade, it is that teams can remain competitive and retool on the fly by surrounding older talent with fresh legs and young energy, brought in by calling up skilled, speedy prospects. The Washington Capitals proved it last season; the Penguins are showing the same thing this year; and the Blues have to look at that model and see how best to apply it to their own roster construction.
The Blues have some pieces in Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, and Dalibor Dvorsky. Now they need to figure out which veterans to keep around to guide them and which to let go to acquire more young talent to insulate the core.
It makes sense to move Binnington, given that Joel Hofer is waiting in the wings and probably deserves the bulk of the ice time. The issue for St. Louis is that they missed the best time to trade the 32-year-old: last March, before the trade deadline, or this past summer.
This year, Binnington’s game has fallen off a cliff, and he is dead last in the NHL with -24.4 goals saved above expected in 31 games (per MoneyPuck). Add to that the fact that he is counting $6MM against the salary cap and has a 14-team no-trade clause (per PuckPedia), and you have a player who is close to impossible to move.
Moving Faulk would also be a step in the right direction, as the 33-year-old makes $6.5MM this year and next and is having a reasonable offensive season with 11 goals and 13 assists in 52 games, while cleaning up the turnover issue that plagued him last year. The Blues are reportedly looking to strike while the iron is hot and are asking for a premium package to move the right-shot defenseman. If the Blues can move Faulk and get a return even remotely close to their ask, it would be good business and could set them on a path to retool sooner than later.
Outside of those two, Schenn, Thomas, and Parayko remain options to be moved, and it’s hard to say whether the Blues want to turn their roster over completely. The Penguins tried to move Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson last year but couldn’t find anyone willing to meet their asking price. Perhaps the Blues will chart a similar course and try to move those three veterans if they get the right price. If not, they’ll wait to see how their own roster shakes out over the next six to 12 months. In any event, St. Louis has to show direction sooner rather than later if it hopes to position the team for improvement in the near future.
The NHL Is Ripe For A Big Change Of Scenery Trade
The classic change-of-scenery move was once standard in the NHL. Still, with the emergence of the salary cap, analytics, and entire departments dedicated to player projections, the number of big-name change-of-scenery trades has declined.
These deals were often made in hopes of inspiring two struggling players to return to their career averages or better. The most recent example of this kind of deal is the goalie trade between the Penguins and Oilers earlier this year, which involved Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner.
Another recent example came at last year’s trade deadline, when the Sabres sent Dylan Cozens and a draft pick to the Senators for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. This season, there are multiple change-of-scenery trade candidates, with the biggest names being forward Elias Pettersson of the Canucks and Andrei Svechnikov of the Hurricanes.
Don’t get it wrong. There are still plenty of change-of-scenery trades in the NHL involving fringe and depth players, and some don’t work out, but some do in a big way. Egor Chinakhov of the Penguins is a glaring example of a change-of-scenery move that has worked out thus far, as he is playing with more confidence and fire than he has in years.
In addition to the Chinakhov and Skinner moves, the Penguins have made several low-end versions of these trades this season, most recently this week’s deal with the Avalanche, which sent forward Valtteri Puustinen to the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Ilya Solovyov. The trade barely made waves around the NHL, but it does provide an example of two players who need fresh starts being swapped by teams in the hope of reigniting their play.
Outside of the aforementioned Pettersson and Svechnikov, who are some other big-name players who could use a change of scenery? The big name has to be defenseman Dougie Hamilton of the Devils, who was a healthy scratch last week and hasn’t produced nearly the way you would hope from a $9MM offensive defenseman.
Hamilton has dealt with a couple of injury-riddled seasons and has just five goals and 12 assists in 46 games this year. While Hamilton’s play hasn’t been great this season, that hasn’t stopped the Devils from upping his usage from 19:51 a game last year to 21:33 this season.
Hamilton is still a good player and would be a likely candidate to bounce back in a new environment. But would any team want to take a gamble like that on a 32-year-old making $9MM annually over the next two and a half years?
There is interest, and why wouldn’t there be? Hamilton is a talented player who could very well thrive on a new team, but the Devils aren’t going to just give him a way or retain half his salary in exchange for peanuts. The best course of action for New Jersey might be to try to find a hockey deal for another player in need of a change.
Pivoting to the Western Conference, the Blues look to be going nowhere fast and have a few players who could use a fresh start, including forward Jordan Kyrou and defenseman Colton Parayko. Kyrou is probably the most intriguing name on this list, a 27-year-old with a healthy track record of success.
His decline this season (11 goals and 13 assists in 42 games) isn’t overly complicated. His shooting percentage has dropped almost a full six points from last year, and with it, so has his goal-scoring production. Kyrou has another five years on his contract after this season at an AAV of $8.13MM, and he could be a bargain depending on how motivated St. Louis is to shake things up.
The Blues are in no rush, though, and might hold firm on their asking price if they don’t get reasonable offers. From Kyrou’s perspective, this year has been one to forget offensively. However, many of his underlying numbers remain strong, and he should still be productive for the majority of his contract. The Blues have been a bad team this year, and without much support, Kyrou hasn’t been as effective as he was in years past, when he was a consistent 70-point threat.
Another Blues player who could use a new look is Parayko, who has been a mess this season after a good year last year. Parayko has never been an analytics darling, but some of his underlying numbers are ugly this season. Now, in fairness to the 32-year-old, he is being asked to shoulder a very heavy defensive load on a bad team that is going nowhere. It can’t be easy for the veteran to go in night after night knowing he’ll spend most of the game working in his own zone, but that is his reality in St. Louis. A fresh start in a less stressful role could be precisely what Parayko needs at this stage of his career, but he won’t come cheap, as St. Louis likely still views him as a premium asset.
Moving back east, the Devils paid a premium three years ago to acquire Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks and hoped he would become a force in their top six as they entered their window of contention. Meier quickly signed a pricey extension with the Devils worth $8.8MM annually (on an eight-year deal), and it looked as though it was an excellent match for both sides.
Since joining New Jersey, Meier hasn’t been the same offensive contributor he was in San Jose, and some of his underlying numbers have taken a hit as well. Offensively, he is still a 50+ point player, but that likely isn’t what the Devils had hoped for when they made the moves to bring him in long-term. Meier just ended a six-game pointless drought the other night and has been dealing with personal matters on the side, taking a leave of absence last month to attend to a family health matter.
It’s hard to say whether he would welcome a move or not, but it probably wouldn’t be the worst thing for the 29-year-old or the team. Once again, the Devils aren’t going to give Meier away, as he remains an effective player, but given how rough the last 18 months have been for the team, it might not be the worst thing to shake up the roster by moving on from Meier, Hamilton, or perhaps both players.
Central Notes: Kaprizov, Parayko, Ehlers, Wiesblatt
The Wild have been slumping lately with four straight losses, dropping them to the second Wild Card spot in the West. However, there could be some help on the horizon soon as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the hope is that winger Kirill Kaprizov could be available to return to the lineup on Wednesday against San Jose. The 27-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury, one that caused him to miss time earlier in the season as well. Kaprizov has been one of the top players in the league when healthy as his 1.41 points per game average ranks fifth in the league. Unfortunately for him and Minnesota, he has only played in 37 games although that number may be going up soon.
More from the Central:
- While Blues defenseman Colton Parayko has resumed skating, head coach Jim Montgomery indicated to reporters, including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he’s not comfortable about putting him into the lineup just yet. The 31-year-old is trying to return earlier than expected from a knee injury but Montgomery acknowledged that there were a couple of instances in practice that showed he’s not ready to return yet. Still, it would appear that Parayko is getting close to coming back which would be a big boost to their back end with him being their number one blueliner.
- It appears that Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers has avoided serious injury after blocking two shots off his foot on Thursday as Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun relays that Ehlers is listed as day-to-day and could play tonight against Utah. In the final year of his contract leading to UFA eligibility for the first time this summer, Ehlers is one point shy of his career-high in points and has 24 goals and 39 assists through 67 games this season. With Winnipeg slipping a bit and Dallas on a run, they’ll need Ehlers back quickly to help them try to hold onto top spot in the division.
- The Predators have returned winger Ozzy Wiesblatt to AHL Milwaukee, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old was recalled on Thursday and got into his fifth game of the season that night, recording five hits in a little over 11 minutes of ice time. Wiesblatt will now return to the Admirals where he has 37 points in 61 games, good for third on the team in scoring.
Blues Hopeful That Colton Parayko Could Return Before End Of Regular Season
Earlier this month, the Blues announced that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss six weeks before being re-evaluated after undergoing a scope on his knee. With only six weeks left in the year, it was reasonable to infer that this would be a season-ending issue for the veteran.
But that might not be the case after all. Speaking with reporters today including Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Jim Montgomery opened the door for the possibility that his top defender could be back earlier than anticipated:
Do I think he’s going to be six weeks? I do not think he’s going to be six weeks. That’s just me because that’s my belief in him and our athletic training staff and our doctors. Outside of that, I don’t know how much sooner than six weeks.
The 31-year-old was well on his way to setting a new career-high in points this season, notching 15 goals and 20 assists through his first 64 outings. As it stands, he has matched his personal best in the points department, a mark he has now hit four times. Parayko also leads the Blues in ATOI (23:51) and blocked shots (140), making his absence a very significant one with St. Louis remaining in the mix for a Wild Card spot.
It’s possible that how the Blues fare in these next few weeks could ultimately dictate if Parayko ultimately makes it back. If the team falls out of the mix before then, it might make more sense for the blueliner to simply shut it down for the rest of the year anyway to avoid any risks heading into the offseason. If he does make it back before the end of the campaign though, he’ll be the third Blue to do so this season after Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each came back a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
Minor Transactions: 3/7/25
Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.
- According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
- As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
- The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
- According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
- After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
- Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
- As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
- The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke‘s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
- According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
- In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
- Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
- For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
- After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
- In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
- As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster. Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
- According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
- In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
- The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year. All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Blues’ Colton Parayko Out Six Weeks After Knee Operation
In a massive blow to their defensive core, the St. Louis Blues announced Colton Parayko will miss the next six weeks after undergoing a scope on his left knee. Given that six weeks from today is two days after the Blues’ final regular season matchup, it likely means Parayko is done for the regular season.
The knee procedure was required after the team’s shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings last night. During the overtime period, Parayko fell awkwardly after an offensive zone faceoff, leading to his removal from the game for the remainder of the action.
It’s an unfortunate end to what was becoming a career year for the St. Albert, Alberta native. Parayko was, and still is, leading all Blues defensemen in goals, assists, points, even-strength goals, shots on goal, average time on ice, blocked shots, hits, and takeaways. He had already matched his career-high of 35 points in 18 fewer games.
Still, it wasn’t a completely perfect season for Parayko. Although his possession metrics have improved from last year, he’s still averaging a 47.1% CorsiFor% at even strength, slightly below his career average of 48.3%. Meanwhile, his defensive metrics have taken a hit, as evidenced by his career low 89.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength, but much of that can be explained by his 59.0% defensive zone starts percentage.
Regardless of the moderately depressed defensive metrics, it’s hard to define Parayko’s 2024-25 campaign as anything short of an impressive rebound. He’s raised his On-Ice Goals % at even strength from 40.7% in 2022-23 and 46.2% in 2023-24 to a solid 53.2% in 2024-25, notably driving the Blues’ offense.
After appearing as a net loss contract a few years ago, Parayko’s $6.5MM salary through the 2029-30 season is becoming more of an ideal contract for St. Louis. Parayko had been floated as a potential trade candidate leading into Friday’s deadline, but interested teams will likely revisit in the offseason once he’s recovered from the knee injury.