Torey Krug has been diagnosed with a pre-arthritic ankle condition. The defenceman will be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks.
Krug Diagnosed With Pre-Arthritic Ankle Condition
Blues’ Torey Krug could miss 2024-25 season with pre-arthritic ankle condition. https://t.co/WiNGvzczuq #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 16, 2024
The 33-year old defenceman will be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks. At that point, it will be determined if Krug requires surgery. If Krug needs surgery, he may miss the entire 2024-25 season.
Krug has been the subject of much trade speculation this off-season due to his cap hit. The Blues had a trade in place with the Philadelphia Flyers a year ago to move Krug. However, Krug used his no-trade clause to veto the trade.
Nothing Is Certain Yet
It is easy to start thinking of what comes next. However, it is important to note that there are many steps that need to happen before a clearer picture emerges.
The six-to-eight week stretch will take the Blues to the start of training camp. Krug will likely miss, most, if not all, of training camp even if he is cleared. Furthermore, it be assumed he will miss the start of the regular season as well.
The best case for Krug is he misses the start of the season. The worse case is he misses the entire season.
What Does This Mean For The Blues?
The Blues have a heavy amount of left-handed defenceman on the roster. If Krug misses any time, the Blues have multiple options to choose from to take his spot. Scott Perunovich and Ryan Suter would most likely be the favourites to take the spot in the lineup. The Blues would make that decision based off training camp and preseason performance.
This news also decreases Krug’s value on the trade market. It was already hard for the Blues to move Krug’s $6.5 million cap hit for the next three seasons. An arthritis diagnosis will only make it harder.
If Krug misses the entire season, the Blues would likely place Krug on long-term injured reserve. By doing that, Krug’s $6.5 million cap hit would not count against the Blues salary cap for the season. The Blues would have an additional $6.5 million to spend. The Blues did this with Vladimir Tarasenko a few seasons ago. By doing this, the Blues were able to bring in Mike Hoffman to help the offence.
Did The Situation Prompt A Previous Signing?
Krug’s arthritis did not just emerge overnight. It is likely the Blues knew about this as early as last week. If this is the case, this is why the Blues signed Suter. The signing left some question marks due to amount of defenders on the roster already. However, if the Blues knew about this last week, then signing Suter does make sense.
What Does This Mean For Krug?
Any injury to the ankle is a big deal in hockey. The ankle is one of the most used muscles by a hockey player. This diagnosis creates many question marks for Krug’s future. At 33 years old, Krug is already on the downhill slope of his career. How an arthritic diagnosis impacts that is unknown at this time.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
