Colton Parayko
Now, hear me out. I know that Blues fans everywhere are either thinking Parayko has one more chance, or they’ve been done with him for a while and can’t wait to see the 6 foot 6 inch defenseman shipped out of town while he may still be worth something.
I have a bit of a different perspective than most on CP55. While many believe that Colton has not lived up to his potential, the fact is he was not a top-5 pick like Alex Pietrangelo was. Yes, he had a very poor season last year, but so did just about everyone on the Blues roster. I see no reason why he can not only rebound this season, but be an example for the next crop of young Blues coming up.
I am fully aware that he’s probably as much of a long shot to wear a Captain’s “C” as anyone on this list, or maybe on the roster. The Blues don’t need him to be Alex Pietrangelo, though.
Colton needs to be a steady defender who leads by example and can be instrumental in solidifying a defensive core that was one of the worst in the league last year. Obviously he won’t be able to accomplish all of this before opening night, but if the Blues go into this season without a captain and Parayko can prove he can be that guy, then it’s possible that a guy that has worn an “A” for the past three seasons, and is still under contract until 2030, could be tabbed to sport a “C” on his sweater.