Thursday 3/5, 1:00pm
It was taking too long so you knew something was afoot.
Defenseman Colton Parayko has invoked the No Trade Clause in his contract with the St Louis Blues and will not waive it to move to the Buffalo Sabres, as reported by the Athletic beat reporter for the Blues Jeremy Rutherford just minutes ago.
The 32-year-old did have a 15-team no trade clause which apparently included the Sabres, and after having the evening to think about it, the player has decided to stay in the only city he’s played professional hockey at having been drafted by the Blues in 2012.
Wednesday 3/4, 4:45pm
While reports from earlier today seem to indicate that the Buffalo Sabres and the St Louis Blues have hit an impasse over center Robert Thomas, apparently the two teams are still talking and getting closer to a deal for defenseman Colton Parayko.
NHL insider Darren Dreger has been close to the situation and is now reporting that a trade is now close, and the Sabres will have to pay a steep price for the Canadian Olympian who played a shutdown role in the just-ended Winter Olympics.
The package that will go back for the 32-year-old will reportedly include Radim Mrtka, the 18-year-old defenseman that the Sabres just drafted last year at 9th overall, and widely considered to be a bit of a steal. Also in play per Dreger is a first rounder, just not clear whether that will be in the 2026 Draft (to be held in Buffalo), or in a later year.
From a salary cap perspective, the Sabres are committing to a lot of money on their defensive corps, especially if no one else is moved before the deadline, with Parayko now in the fourth year of an eight-year, $52 million deal.
The veteran dman is in his 11th NHL season, having played in 58 games (1G, 14A) this season averaging 22:24 of ice-time a night. His addition will certainly beef up the Sabres defensive pairs, possibly allowing the current top four to have more respite with Lindy Ruff only handing out about 10 min a night to the third pair.
The 86th overall pick from the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Parayko has appeared in 781 career games, with 78 goals and 231 assists, and was a key part of the St Louis Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup winning campaign. He does have a No Trade Clause that he will have to waive to approve this trade.
Dom Luszczyszyn is a fan.
Hockey Stats Card for Parayko
Expected Buffalo profile, fit and how Parayko affects the Sabres.