The St. Louis Blues have inked defenseman Colton Parayko to a long-term extension on Wednesday. The blueliner gets another eight years with the team and will lock in at an annual average salary of $6.5 million per season. Considered by most to be a second-pair defensive defenceman, he’s struggled compared to early expectations/projections in his career, but he still would have been a coveted asset on the free agent market had he gotten there.
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This deal will keep Parayko in St. Louis until he’s 37 years old and the response to the extension is mixed. Some are saying this is a great deal for the Blues based on the recent contracts that were handed out to other defensemen this offseason. Some are suggesting this contract projects poorly unless he can get back to the type of production he’d been offering between 2015-2019.
What is likely is that Parayko could have gotten more on open market but it’s just not clear how much. This deal seems to represent the idea that the player really enjoys being in St. Louis and had no desire to leave or test the market. He said when his contract extension was announced:
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 provides the full breakdown as below:
- 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
Injuries May Have Attributed To A Drop In Production
Parayko scored 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) this past season and was minus-2 in 32 regular-season games. He missed 21 games because of an upper-body injury He returned in April and had one assist in four Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.
If he can get healthy, there’s a good chance his numbers will improve. The Blues are certainly hoping that’s the case.
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MICHAEL C ZACK
September 1, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Too much money, too much term. The curse of winning the Stanley Cup…keep the old gang together for too long and overpay for those that were part of it. Better off clearing the decks and starting over ( except the Superstars) looking at you Chicago.
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