Will this be Colton Parayko's Final Season with the St. Louis Blues?

A third round pick in 2012, Colton Parayko has defied his draft positioning and has now played in over 700 NHL games (regular season and playoffs) and has even lifted Lord Stanley's Cup. The 6'6 right-shot defenseman, now 31 years old, could be in high demand however if the Blues don't have a bounce back season.

Rumors were rampid that rival general managers could be after the long time St. Louis blue liner. Not too many RD of size and experience on the market after all. Even though Parayko is in the middle of his eight year (fifty two million in total) deal, an increased cap could make him quite appealing as a 6.5 million caphit for a top 4 defender is becoming a luxury these days. The likes of Darnell Nurse, Seth Jones, and Dougie Hamilton are all making at least nine million per season. Jacob Trouba, Brent Burns, and Thomas Chabot all at eight million. So the 112th ranked cap hit in the league (Colton Parayko) is actually a bargain in terms of a player playing 23+ minutes a night and only missing 5 games in the last 3 seasons combined.

By the time his deal runs out in 2029-2030, Colton will be 36 years old however and it is unlikely to be for the Blues unless they disregard the perceived narrative this season. Doug Armstrong has built, through draft and trade markets, a new injection of young defenseman corps which could now make long time Blue Parayko expendable. Will he trade him? The standings in February and March will likely determine that, however one thing is clear; the price should be high.