The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have extended defenceman Colton Parayko to an eight-year, $52 million contract. This contract will have an AAV of $6.5 million. The contract extension will come into effect starting from the 2022-23 season and will take him to the end of the 2029-30 season.
BREAKING NEWS! Colton Parayko has agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension with the Blues. #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 1, 2021
Blues Extend Colton Parayko
Parayko has just finished his sixth season in the NHL, all with the St. Louis Blues. In 418 NHL games, he scored 41 goals and 130 assists for 171 points. He was the 86th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Blues. Just a few seasons ago, he was projected to be in the 100% percentile in WAR but started to slowly decline. During the 2020-21 season, Parayko scored two goals and ten assists for 12 points in 32 games. He spent the majority of the season with Marco Scandella on the Blues’ second defensive pairing. Parayko had a P/60 of 1.1, a 42.5% Corsi and 42.8% Fenwick this year. He was in the 50% percentile this season, indicating his average play.
What To Expect
Parayko was a very solid defenceman for the St. Louis Blues throughout the years. His advanced analytics used to be among the best in the league, demonstrating his consistency throughout his career. However, the same can’t be said about this season. Parayko struggled with injuries and had a hard time becoming the anchor of the Blues’ back end. He only played 32 of 56 games this season, and at one point, Parayko was on LTIR due to back issues. His aggressive game, which allows him to play at his best, was virtually non-existent due to injuries. He started to show flashes of his former self in April and May. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to bring that momentum into the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, where they were swept in four games. Hopefully, Parayko is able to recover from his injuries and play consistently like the Blues want him to do.
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