Who Holds The 3 Worst Contracts On The St. Louis Blues

2 of 4

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has done a great job assigning contracts, though a few stand out as bad contracts.

The St. Louis Blues general manager is arguably one of the best in the league. In the NHL, his ability to maneuver trades and sign players to team-friendly deals is almost unmatched.

The Blues have a good mix of veteran talent with a sprinkle of youth. Veterans like Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, and Brandon Saad have led this team to where they are ahead of the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, youngsters Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Jake Walman are changing how the Blues are viewed nationally. The mix is a recipe for success, but it doesn’t happen if veterans are overpaid, and the team has no flexibility.

This is not the case with the St. Louis Blues. Armstrong has been very careful with the contracts he has handed out over the years. The scarce contracts are one of the main reasons why Alex Pietrangelo is in Vegas and not the captain of the St. Louis Blues.

Picking out the best contracts on the Blues team is almost as tricky as picking out the worst contracts on the team. However, we could talk about that another time.

Players that just missed the cut on our list are Justin Faulk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Before the 2021-22 season, these two names may have been at the top of the list. However, they are deservedly left off the list after their stellar performances this season.

Before we get to the three worst contracts on the team, it’s important to note that the St. Louis Blues only have $22,379 in cap space remaining this season. The Blues’ pending UFA’s are Perron, Tyler Bozak, and Ville Husso.

Dec 17, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) and Dallas Stars center Luke Glendening (11) battle for the puck during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Colton Parayko

Sorry, Colton Parayko, but you signed a massive eight-year, $52 million contract, and right now, you just aren’t worth the money. Parayko has the potential to be one of the best defensemen in the league. His game is comparable to Shea Weber and maybe even a lesser skilled Brent Burns, but you are making a lot of money for what you are worth.

His play would make you think he is making closer to $3 million a year, not the hefty $6.5 million that he is carrying right now. He is the third highest-paid defenseman on the team behind Faulk and Torey Krug.

The 28-year old’s stats this season do not match the contract he has earned, and yes, he has earned this contract, he just is not playing up to par. Parayko has 22 points in 51 games this season and is a plus/minus -2 on the year.

We have only seen his nasty side a handful of times this season, and it’s clear to everyone who watches the games what a difference a nasty Parayko makes on the ice.

There’s no doubt that Parayko has the potential to be one of the league’s best defensemen, but the Alberta native needs to pick it up, or the Blues will be stuck with a terrible contract until it expires in 2030.

Jan 15, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) makes a save against Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Jordan Binnington

Jordan Binnington has not been the same since the COVID 19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season. He was not great in the bubble that season against Vancouver, and he hasn’t been the same since.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a great goaltender, but he is making a lot of money to be Husso’s backup at the moment. The 28-year-old signed a six-year, $36 million contract on March 11, 2021, with a no-move clause until 2024, when it becomes a modified no-move clause.

The 2021-22 season has been a disappointment for Binnington. Whether the Blues want to come right out and say it or not, he lost the starting job to Husso, and now St. Louis has a $6 million contract on the bench.

In 26 games this season, he is allowing 3.12 goals per game and has stopped .904 of the shots he has faced and has a record of 13-10-3. He has, however, won his last two games in net, beating the Blackhawks and the Flyers.

It’s a step in the right direction, but for now, the contract extension for Binnington is looking like an expensive deal that would be hard to move if the Blues wanted to try and trade the Stanley-Cup winning goalie down the road.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 05: Marco Scandella #6 of the St. Louis Blues controls the puck during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 05, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

1. Marco Scandella

The Marco Scandella extension made all the sense in the world when it was given out on April 16, 2020. The deal was for four years and is worth $3.275 million until the end of the 2023-24 season.

His latest injury does not help his rank on our list either, as he has not played a game since February 11 and is on injured reserve. Scandella’s might be near the top when it comes to possible names that the Blues would move at the deadline.

Scandella’s extension was all about depth. He was coming off a brilliant season playing with Parayko, but during the 2021-22 season, he has been a below-average defenseman, and he is making too much money to play that way.

He has never been a huge point producer in his career, so you can’t fault him for just 10 points in 45 games this season. He is a big body who plays solid defense and could pair well with an offensive-minded d-man.

Want your voice heard? Join the Bleedin' Blue team!

Write for us!

Next. The Best And Worst From The Blues Loss To Rangers. dark

The problem is, he isn’t playing right now, and with the Blues limit cap space, he is a prime candidate to get moved this spring. He just needs to get healthy first. $3.275 million isn’t a great number to pay someone who has been a staple on your third line and is approaching his mid-30s, but let’s hope he can bounce back when he comes back from his lower-body ailment.

Home / Editorials