St. Louis Blues: What Are the Best Approaches to the Torey Krug Dilemma?
Did Torey Krug come to the St. Louis Blues with high expectations? If so, has he exceeded them or underperformed? Ask most St. Louis Blues fans, and they will give you a firm answer, surrounded by their disappointment.
Torey Krug experienced some incredibly impressive seasons, particularly in Boston during his tenure with the Bruins.
Some will argue Krug was the official replacement for departed captain Alex Pietrangelo and had the expectations to match or even exceed Pietrangelo's stats.
St. Louis Blues fans have legitimate reasons to be disappointed
That’s not a reassuring sign when the GM who signed you seeks to trade you away just a couple of years after signing a massive deal to replace Pietrangelo.
Fans share Armstrong’s disapproval, and the stats justify such concerns:
2023-24: 77 games, 4 goals, 35 assists, 39 points.
2022-23: 63 games, 7 goals, 25 assists, 32 points.
2021-22: 64 games, 9 goals, 34 assists, 43 points.
2020-21: 51 games, 2 goals, 30 assists, 32 points.
Looking at the numbers, Krug has missed several games, which immediately raises a red flag. His best year in St. Louis came in the 2021-22 season, but those numbers don’t emulate his success in Boston, where he maintained total accumulated points in the 50s and high 40s during the last several seasons in Boston.
The St. Louis Blues might have Torey Krug on their team for the years to come
As per his contract, Krug is in St. Louis for the long term. He will become a free agent following the 2026-27 season.
His contract, which fluctuates at about $6.5 million annually, totals $45 million.
Krug has been in the top three defenseman spots a couple of times in the past three years, but his salary and previous play from Boston don’t add up to his contribution—or at least they haven’t yet.
Is Krug past his prime?
He’s 33 and has deflating stats; all signs point to a yes.
His contract might be one of the major justified complaints from Blues fans. It doesn’t help that fellow defensemen Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko have near numbers, locking them in for several years and produce very similar numbers.
The Blues most likely can’t trade him unless he’s part of a master plan to add additional talent in any prospective deal. And don’t forget, he has to sign off on any agreement.
The best approach for the Krug situation is to let it play out… Krug’s not going anywhere anytime soon. We can ask more from him and hope he regains his previous Boston talent.
If Krug can stay healthy, he can lift a defense; we just haven’t seen it yet.
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