With it being October, the St. Louis Blues play meaningful hockey this month. In just under a week, the vibe surrounding this team will shift considerably.
Before we move onto the 2025-26 season, let us write just one more post about the 2024-25 season, and how it could have a direct impact on this upcoming season.
Via NHL Edge, Colton Parayko was highlighted for his incredible shooting power. With the idea of hitting a major benchmark this season, which he has flirted with in years past, this advanced stat could prove to be the difference maker.
Parayko has a cannon
Parayko displayed his immense strength by hitting a 102.3 mph slapshot in a regular-season game against the Winnipeg Jets last season. It might have been the only one that he hit over 100+, but this next tracker is even more impressive.
In terms of shooting the puck between 90 and 100 mph, the league average for defensemen is a little over four shots, at 4.15. Parayko had 17 shots on goal inside that range, which is a big advantage to have. Let us also not forget that Parayko is also in the 99th percentile of all defenseman with a shooting percentage of 12.8% last season.
Impact on 2025-26, hitting 20+ goals ?
The Blues are going to heavily rely on Parayko for both his play and leadership on the blue line. Even though most of the Blues leadership is full of leadership, only Parayko has that Stanley Cup champion instinct. Logan Mailloux, who has been labeled as a clone of Parayko, will have to heavily rely on his wisdom this upcoming season.
In 2024-25, Parayko hit 16 goals, a career high, in 64 games. He missed some time due to injury, which hindered his chances of hitting the 20+ goal mark. If he can hit those same advanced statistics, as explained above, he could become the first Blues defenseman since Al MacInnis in 1998-99 to hit that milestone.
With playoff hopes and dreams being the expectation for the 2025-26 season, Parayko must be a bigger part of this team. He has to score the goals, continue to be the best defenseman on this team, and help lead the next generation. Tall tasks, but the tallest member of this team can certainly do it.