Colton Parayko has been a steady workhorse this season for the St. Louis Blues, and it seems he has finally fully stepped into the role as the Blues top defender. It has been a stop that the Blues always envisioned he would get to with Alex Pietrangelo leaving for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Once Pietrangelo left before the 2021-22 season, it felt like the keys were being passed to Parayko to be their leader on the blue line for the foreseeable future. Parayko had a couple of mixed seasons since being tasked to lead on the blueline but has shown out this season with his all-around game and could potentially be working his way onto the Team Canada roster for the Four Nations tournament.
When you think of calling someone a workhorse, the first thing that comes to mind is someone who plays a ton of minutes, someone who can help their team in almost every facet of the game, whether it be on the penalty kill or in the dying minutes of a game to secure the victory. Parayko's two-way game has not gone unnoticed. He leads the entire NHL in time spent on the ice this season with 596:09 minutes played and is 9th in the league in time on ice per game at 24:50 minutes.
Parayko is a focal point for the team's penalty kill. His large frame allows him to get in the way of shots and get his stick into space to break up passing lanes. He is 4th in the league in block shots with 63. With his 6′6″ 228 pound frame, he makes good use of his size to help get in front of shots.
Offensively, Parayko is not one of those guys who will be at the top of the league in points for a defenceman, but he does have a top-end shot that can put fear into the opponents. In 2022, Parayko set the record for the hardest shot recorded by NHL EDGE data.
Although Darren Raddysh and Colin Miller have since surpassed his record, Parayko's shot remains a weapon. Parayko has eclipsed double-digit goals three times in his career and is on pace to do so again this season. While not being a big-time point producer, Parayko is on pace to surpass his career-high in points this season. He is arguably playing the best hockey of his career, which comes at the perfect time with the Four Nations tournament just around the corner.
I am not saying that Parayko is a shoo-in to make the Team Canada roster, nor do I think he is a front-runner at this stage, but I do believe that if he continues his play this season, he could be a sneaky addition to the roster.
From all the mock teams I have seen of people predicting Team Canada's roster, it looks as though Cale Makar and Devon Toews of the Colorado Avalanche, as well as Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, will be guaranteed to be on their blueline. The remaining three positions on the blueline seem to be up in the air.
Depending on what style of play Team Canada is looking for to fill out those positions, Parayko could find his way onto the roster. If they are looking for players who can be an offensive force, you are looking at Josh Morrissey, Noah Dobson, or Evan Bouchard. However, if you are looking for a more physical defenceman who is better defensively, Parayko could end up making the squad.