Colton Parayko hasn’t lit the lamp so far in 2016-17, but that doesn’t mean that the defenseman is struggling or even concerned about the fact he hasn’t found the back of the net. Through 21 games, Parayko has 10 assists but so far has come up empty in the goal column despite firing 56 shots. Last year Parayko tallied nine goals on 165 shots (5.5%) which indicates his slump should only be temporary.
Parayko spoke about his scoring slump with STLToday:
“Personally, I’m not a big stats guy. I like to go out there and help the team as much as possible. It’s something that it is what it is. When you give yourself and your team the opportunity to be successful, and get scoring chances, that’s all you can do. Right now, I’m just trying to push and do my best to help this team be successful.”
That’s the exact attitude you’d hope to see, but it’s still refreshing to see it in a player in just his second season.
Parayko has been shooting the puck more often – a fact the Blues preached over the summer – and you can see that already through the fact he’s a third of the way to last year’s shot total just over a fourth of the way through the season.
Parayko’s assists go a long way in showing there’s not a problem, but he also passes the eye test. Parayko has one of the best traits you hope to find in a defenseman – consistency. He’s as reliable as they come and looks like a seasoned veteran.
Parayko may not be scoring, but that will change and he’ll continue to be a cornerstone of the Blues’ defense.
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