The St. Louis Blues had an abysmal defensive unit last season, and it was one of the key factors in the lackluster campaign. They were unorganized, outplayed, and outmatched more often than not.
The two biggest detriments came from Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler, who took serious damage all season long. After both of them had such success in 2024-25, their downfall was both surprising and disappointing. Logan Mailloux, who stepped into an impossible situation as the next big thing on the blue line, took about 70 games to figure out the NHL.
Which defenseman has the most to prove next season? Let’s talk about it.
Parayko and his loyalty
There are a bunch of defensemen who have the most to prove next season. In fact, there is probably a case to be made for each and every one of them. But only one truly reigns supreme in this case, and his loyalty will hopefully be rewarded.
Parayko, who was basically 100% traded to Buffalo at the trade deadline last season, used his no-trade clause. That vetoed the move and kept him where he has played the entirety of his career. Now, let’s see if that loyalty to stay with the Blues will help shape the future.
Philip Broberg is now the top guy on defense, and Parayko has slid down to a second-pair d-man. The 33-year-old is going to have to help with the leadership aspect of this defensive group. But No. 55 also has to get his game back in the right direction. Free-falling from a 16-goal season in 2024-25 to just four goals in 2025-26, and halving his point total in the process, is not going to help this team.
If Parayko wants to be a Blue for life, that is perfectly fine, but he cannot handicap this team with another performance like last season. It cannot happen with a flourishing pipeline of blue liners awaiting their turn, like Adam Jiricek. This season is make-or-break for No. 55, and he has to prove to everyone that he still belongs here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google