The Edmonton Oilers have continued to struggle recently with their ability to finish strong and close out games. Their defensive struggles are as clear as ever and they’ll need to make improvements if they want a good shot at going deep in the playoffs. One name that has caught my eye is Colton Parayko who could find himself on the trade block if the St. Louis Blues continue to sell and begin a rebuild. His skill is something the team could benefit from and as a hometown boy, he would likely want to play in Edmonton for a while.
Who Is Colton Parayko & How Does He Benefit The Oilers?
Parayko is a 29-year-old right-shot defenseman from St. Albert, Alberta currently playing for the Blues. He was selected in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Blues at 86th overall and has played with them ever since. He is in his eighth season in the NHL and has played 551 games. In those games, he has scored 50 goals and added 175 assists for 225 points which comes out to a 0.41 points per game average. This season with the Blues, he has scored three goals and added 16 assists for 19 points through 53 games. His style is that of a two-way defenseman, which means he plays strong in his own end but has an offensive side that shows in his point totals and is very evident in his decision-making during games.
Related: Oilers Could Be Scouting Parayko as Fallback Option to Karlsson
Parayko spent his junior career between the NCAA and the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) over five seasons. In the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, he played in the AJHL with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons where he played a total of 95 games. In those games, he scored 12 goals and added 42 assists for 54 points. Over the next three seasons, he played with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in the NCAA. In 104 games with Alaska, he scored 17 goals and added 49 assists for 66 points, and was named the captain of the team during the 2014-15 season.
After his Stanley Cup win, Parayko quickly became one of my favorite defensemen to watch in the NHL. He doesn’t have a flashy game but instead quite the opposite. His strong hockey IQ allows him to find open players coming out of the zone and his smooth stride allows him to create space and carry the puck instead of just playing dump-and-chase or off-the-glass hockey. He would be a much better player to bring in compared to the Oilers’ current weapons, and more affordable than a few of the other candidates the team is looking at, specifically Erik Karlsson.
If the Oilers want a player on their back end that they can lean on and trust to play 25 minutes a night when they need him to, Parayko is their guy.
What Would It Cost The Oilers?
Parayko signed an eight-year contract extension with the Blues on Sept. 1, 2021. His contract ends at the conclusion of the 2029-30 season and has a value of $6.5 million annually. He has a no-trade clause (NTC) that he’d have to waive in order for any trade to go through, and any team that wants to bring him in has to be committed to making him a cornerstone of their lineup long-term.
His contract comes in at a good price considering the market for defensemen at the moment. If the Oilers made this move, they would be upgrading the right side of their blue line. I think realistically a trade between the Blues and Oilers would be the Oilers acquiring Parayko in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Jesse Puljujarvi, Raphael Lavoie, and a third-round pick.
It’s not a massive package, but the Blues are looking to rebuild. They would be bringing in a prospect in Lavoie, more draft capital, and two pieces they can move for even more assets down the road if they don’t see them as fits in St. Louis. The trade makes sense for both sides considering the “win now” mindset of the Oilers and the rebuilding mindset of the Blues.
