Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, the St. Louis Blues‘ defense has taken a major step back. Even last season, when they finished with 109 points, the defense was lacking, and this season, they’ve allowed the eighth-most goals in the NHL.
There aren’t any easy fixes here, either. Management has invested a lot of money and term into this unit. One of the biggest issues is rarely talked about, and that’s Mike Van Ryn, the man in charge of the Blues’ defense. The structure is a major issue, and that falls on him. It would be a mistake for the Blues not to find someone else to fill the position. But there are also roster issues that need to be solved.
Blues Need to Trade Big Contracts
This starts with Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. I understand their value isn’t high, and it would be hard to move their contracts, but it’s not impossible. There were rumors last summer that Krug was on the market, and it would make sense to revisit that this summer since the team’s cap structure on the blue line is not sustainable. Trading Justin Faulk or Nick Leddy should be on the table as well.
Parayko has more value than Blues fans think. Plenty of reports over the past two seasons have suggested that teams are interested. His contract is a problem, though. He is in the first season of an eight-year extension with a cap hit of $6.5 million. He hasn’t been the same player for a few years, and injuries haven’t helped, either. A team with cap flexibility looking to offload a salary could be interested if the Blues were willing to trade Parayko. They should be willing to move him, and if they aren’t, then general manager Doug Armstrong is too attached to him.
While it may not make sense on the surface, if the Vancouver Canucks continue to manage their team this way, then Brock Boeser for Parayko could be possible, but I have a feeling that the Canucks won’t want to trade for another defenseman with a bad contract as they did with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. However, I’ll be stunned if Parayko plays all eight seasons of this contract in St. Louis.
Related: Blues Should Explore Trade for Canucks’ Boeser
Faulk, Leddy, and Krug are all in their thirties with big contracts. They might have some trade value, but it will be hard to navigate a deal. Krug and Faulk have four seasons left on their contracts after this season, with a cap hit of $6.5 million. Faulk has struggled after a terrific 2021-22, but his value is uncertain. Krug hasn’t been healthy for much of this season and bad defensively when he has been. Leddy is not a good defender but skates well, so he could be worth something. He has three seasons left on his contract after this season at $4 million.
It would help their cap situation immensely if the Blues can move two of these four defensemen. The problem is their value and the possibility of giving up assets to move them, but the team will not be a Cup contender with all four contracts on their books. For the most part, they don’t defend well and have issues keeping up with faster teams, a mess created by Armstrong. I won’t blame him for the Krug or Faulk deals, given their value at the time, but the Leddy and Parayko deals were odd decisions.
Blues Should Let the Young Players Play
The Blues have a lot of serviceable defensemen in the system but not quality players. This conversation begins and ends with Tyler Tucker and Scott Perunovich. When those two are healthy, they should be playing in every game. But older defensemen are standing in their way. Tucker has been playing but in sheltered minutes. Perunovich is now with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) on a conditioning assignment, but he should be in the lineup when he’s back.
Matt Kessel and Dmitri Samorukov are two other AHL defensemen who could be playing in the NHL right now. I’m not saying they should both be in the lineup every game, but they deserve a look. Parayko, Krug, Faulk, and Leddy are veterans making a lot of money, but they haven’t earned their spot in the lineup this season. Benching them wouldn’t hurt, given the state of the team, nor would it hurt to see what they have in some of these younger defensemen.
Looking Ahead to the Offseason
The Blues have won three straight and are only six points out of a playoff spot, but that shouldn’t change their stance at the trade deadline. Deciding not to sell after the Vladimir Tarasenko trade would be a bad idea, as the team still has several rentals and solid assets available, and St. Louis has no chance of making any noise in the playoffs if they make it. I don’t expect any defensemen to be traded at the deadline, so the offseason will be a big opportunity for Armstrong. The only player who has earned a spot on the blue line for next season is Calle Rosen, and he has a team-friendly contract after playing well this season.
Expect Krug and Parayko to be thrown around in trade talks this summer. If Armstrong can move one of them, it will open up cap space and help the roster retool. However, if they don’t sell more at the deadline this season, it will set them back immensely. Many veteran defensemen will be available on the free agent market this summer that the Blues could sign to replace Parayko, Krug, and others if they’re traded, like Nick Jensen, Dmitry Orlov, and Luke Schenn. It wouldn’t make their defensive unit elite, but it would bring much more stability and defensive responsibility. They’re lacking all of that and more this season. It’s time for Armstrong to fix his mistakes and move the franchise forward.