Over the past few seasons, the most maligned part of the St. Louis Blues has been their defensive unit, and rightly so. General manager Doug Armstrong has struggled to fix the unit since the departure of Alex Pietrangelo before the 2020-21 season. Losing players like Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Vince Dunn, and others has affected the potency of the unit.
There has been improvement in some areas of the blue line this season, but the unit still lacks the necessary consistency needed to win and make the playoffs. It would be wise for Armstrong to use the offseason to find avenues in fixing the unit and making it more flexible overall. Let’s dive into what it could look like in 2024-25.
Parayko Leads the Way
Defensemen Colton Parayko, Nick Leddy, Justin Faulk, and Torey Krug all have multiple seasons remaining on their contracts after this season. However, it’s Parayko who’s led the way all season and he’ll be under contract in St. Louis through the 2029-30 season. He’s the youngest of the four and has performed at the highest level this season.
I’m not sure Parayko will ever be an elite top-two defenseman again, but he’s been more than good enough for the club this season. He’s played nearly 24 minutes of ice time and has a plus/minus of plus-3, which is a rarity for a Blues defenseman this season. Those stats don’t tell the entire story, but the eye test also suggests that Parayko has been a horse this season.
The Blues got unlucky when they were unable to complete the rumored trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, which would’ve landed them left-handed defenseman Travis Sanheim, who would be a perfect partner for Parayko. If Leddy doesn’t stick around next season, the Blues need to emphasize adding somebody better than him to shut teams down with him. Either way, Parayko will lead the way on the back end for the Blues in 2024-25 and beyond.
Krug Could Be a Trade Candidate Again
After denying to waive his no-trade clause in the rumored Flyers trade, Krug could be on the trade block again this summer. There’s no telling if he will waive it this time, but the Blues may try to find an Eastern Conference contender to take him and could even retain some salary to get him off the books. A team like the Boston Bruins, where Krug spent he spent just over seven seasons, could try to bring him back if his salary is retained in the deal.
Things haven’t worked out for Krug in St. Louis with various injuries and overall regression. After scoring 75 points in his first two seasons (115 games) with the Blues, he’s regressed to 51 points in his last 105 games. He’s also a minus-39 in those games. The Blues power play has struggled and it’s coincided with the struggles of Krug. The Blues must explore a Krug trade once again when summer rolls around.
Youth Movement Could Be Coming
With the likes of Scott Perunovich and Matthew Kessel coming around for the Blues this season, a youth movement on the blue line could be coming. On top of those two, the club also has Theo Lindstein and Michael Buchinger in the pipeline.
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With the struggles of the blue line over the past few seasons, it would be wise for them to give younger defensemen a chance. Both Perunovich and Kessel have held their own in recent weeks and allowing them to grow at this level should be what Armstrong is prioritizing. Don’t be surprised if other young blueliners such as Quinton Burns or Leo Loof emerge in the next few seasons. The Blues have drafted eight defensemen in the past three drafts, including four in the 2023 Draft. The club’s most exciting prospects are forwards such as Zachary Bolduc, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Dalibor Dvorsky, but they also boast a few under-the-radar defensemen working their way up.
Realistic Options Outside the Organization
The Blues should be active in both trades and free agency over the trade deadline and summer as they continue to shake up their blue line. I expect players like Parayko and Faulk to be back next season, but Leddy and Krug could be in trade talks. On the high end of free agency, defensemen such as Brandon Montour, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin likely aren’t options for this team. However, middle-tier free agents such as Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tanev, Brady Skjei, Gustav Forlsing, and others could be options.
Overall, I’m in favor of the Blues resetting their blue line by letting the young blueliners play and bringing in middle-tier free agents on short-term deals. There’s no doubt Armstrong has put the club in a weird spot with the number of rough contracts and no-trade clauses handed out. They have a lot of work to do to fix the blue line.
