Colton Parayko is a fan favorite in St. Louis, and for good reason. After being drafted 86th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft, Parayko quickly made an impression with the org and has since played 816 NHL games - all in the Note. He's been a pillar of the Blues defense for almost a decade, and in recent years, you could make the argument that he is the player the Blues rely on most night in and night out. Unfortunately, the 6'6" alternate captain has had a poor start to the current campaign. What parts of his game need to be improved, and how can he do so?
Inaccurate shooting
Parayko has always been a guy with a cannon slap shot and some issues actually getting it on net, but this year things have dropped to a troubling level. A whopping 39.5% of unblocked shots from No. 55 have failed to actually be on net, letting the opposing goalie off the hook and not forcing them to make a save on nearly 2/5 shot attempts. When you have an offense that is inconsistent and struggling to put up goals, this kind of performance in the offensive zone is just unacceptable. Unfortunately, this stat ultimately points to an extended offensive struggle that results in a very ugly stat sheet.
Lack of offensive production
Parayko's ability to drive offense has been a huge boon for the Blues in recent years. Just two years ago, he was able to post 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 total points despite only playing an abbreviated 64-game season due to injuries. This kind of performance was an outlier and undeniably unsustainable, but it shows that Parayko has that ability, and his offensive floor should be much higher than where it currently sits.
Through 16 games this year, No. 55 has yet to score a single goal and has only managed to muster five total assists - only two of which are primary assists. For a player that the organization and fans expect so much of, that lack of production is a huge hurdle for the team to get over. Thankfully, other defensemen like Philip Broberg and Justin Barron have managed to pick up the slack so far, but they can't be expected to maintain their current level of production forever, and Parayko has to be the one to step up for the team when that happens.
Irresponsible puck possession
Parayko's offense can come and go, but something the Blues have always been able to depend on from him is an elite level of defensive responsibility. He's very rarely been a liability in the defensive zone, and can make almost any defensive partner better. That reliability and great decision-making have seen a regression this year, as evidenced by his 16 defensive zone giveaways in 5 on 5 play. These mistakes create a ripple effect, causing players to be forced to play extended shifts due to the inability to exit the zone, increased likelihood of penalties, and, of course, the inevitable goals against directly caused by these turnovers.
Both fans and the organization know how good Parayko is and how much he contributes to the team both on and off the ice. He's still a leader for the younger defensemen and leads the team in blocked shots while eating a huge amount of ice time every night. His value is still there without a doubt, but the team needs Parayko to be the player they've grown to rely on if they want to make a meaningful push for postseason play. Given his track record, I like No. 55's chances of breaking out of his slump sooner rather than later.
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