The St. Louis Blues have had a very busy offseason so far, and with the signing
 of Joel Edmundson late last month, it would seem that their business was all
but done. And yet, the Blues remain consistently in the rumor mill on account
of one player: defenseman Colton Parayko. While nothing is certain and the
Blues certainly do not have to trade Parayko, there is too much smoke to ignore
 the story altogether. Let';s take a look at whether the Blues should consider
trading their young defensive star.Why Parayko?

Any time a name circles the rumor mill, it';s important to consider why. In
Parayko';s case, the reasons are ample. First, there is the quality of his
play. At just 25, Parayko has established himself as one of the more promising
young defensemen in the game. In his first season, Parayko scored nine goals
and added 24 assists. The team maintained a majority of the possession when he
was on the ice, with a Corsi-For percentage of almost 55%. Parayko finished
eighth in voting for the Calder Trophy for his rookie performance. He posted
30-plus points in each of the next two seasons, and continued to play a steady
defensive game. Additionally, Parayko has raised his profile with an
impressively powerful slap shot.Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues, January 6,
2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Teams around the league looking for help on defense could not do much better
than Parayko. Contenders looking for help on a budget will find Parayko
particularly appealing, as he signed a five-year contract with an average
annual value of $5.5-million last offseason. Therefore it makes sense that
teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs have been consistently linked to the Blues
and Parayko.Why Might the Blues Trade Parayko?

With so many points in Parayko';s favor, it raises the question: why would the
Blues even consider such a deal? The critical point to remember is that they do
 not have to make any move. However, there are some reasons why this might be
the right moment to strike.

First, while defense is always rather scarce in the NHL, it has been
particularly hard to find this summer. Potentially impactful defensive free
agents like Mike Green and John Carlson opted to sign contracts to stay with
their own team. Meanwhile, the Erik Karlsson saga continues to drag on in
Ottawa, meaning one of two scenarios will play out: either he will remain in
Ottawa, making good defensive options even more scarce, or he will be traded,
making the teams that lose out on the sweepstakes even more desperate to find
blue line relief.Erik Karlsson - February 3, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

In either case, Parayko';s stock could increase to a price the Blues would have
 to consider. St. Louis already has their cornerstone right-handed defenseman
in captain Alex Pietrangelo. To relegate a defender of Parayko';s caliber to
the second pairing is a luxury, but it is precisely the sort of luxury that the
 Blues could potentially use in a trade. Kevin Shattenkirk met the same fate in
 St. Louis - he was rumored for several seasons to be a trade piece before
ultimately being dealt at the trade deadline in his final year for a rather
underwhelming return. Considering the potentially massive return that was
rumored to be available had Shattenkirk been on a longer term, the Blues may
consider this as a lesson when approaching a potential Parayko deal.What Would
Make the Blues Say Yes?

While we can only speculate what might tempt Blues'; general manager Doug
Armstrong to move on from their young defenseman, the rumor speculating that
the Maple Leafs may be dangling young RFA forward William Nylander is certainly
 an intriguing one. The Blues have overhauled their forward core this summer,
but their group still doesn';t quite measure up to the top groups in the league
 (such as the Jets, the Lightning, and, yes, the Leafs.) Adding a young,
potentially elite forward like Nylander would take St. Louis'; forward group
from good to great.William Nylander of the Maple Leafs (Tom Szczerbowski-USA
TODAY Sports)

Maple Leafs fans would likely balk at the price of Nylander for Parayko, but
that is actually important for the Blues. Any price the Blues should accept for
 Parayko ought to sting for both teams. The Blues, in trading Parayko, would be
 sacrificing an incredibly valuable defender, and opening a hole on their
second pairing. To make that sacrifice, they would have to get an equally
painful return from another team.

Trades like the one linked above, where the Leafs would surrender Jake
Gardiner, a defenseman who is currently under fire for his playoff performance
and on the final year of his contract, and Andreas Johnsson, who could be a
good scorer but has yet to prove it above the AHL level, should not entice the
Blues to give up Parayko. They should demand top dollar for a player of his
caliber on his contract, and if they aren';t offered it, they should be more
than happy to enter the 2018-19 season with Parayko on their roster.Final
Thoughts

Colton Parayko is very valuable to the Blues, given his team-friendly contract
and the quality of his play. But he is something of a luxury, as he is blocked
from first line minutes by team captain Alex Pietrangelo. If the Blues were to
consider moving him, they should only be enticed by a truly elite, young
forward, or potentially a long-term solution in net. The Blues in no way need
to trade Parayko, but if a desperate team is willing to overpay, he is an asset
 they can use. As it stands, we should expect to see him in a Blues'; sweater
next season, but if that changes, it will be one of the more shocking and
interesting trades of the offseason.

The post Should the Blues Trade Colton Parayko? appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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