Fans shared a common view regarding Colton Parayko’s recent contract negotiations with the St. Louis Blues. That view could be summarized with a quote from the movie Rounders – pay that man his money.
Parayko ended up getting his money, signing a new five-year contract worth $27.5 million. The new deal, which was agreed on just before his scheduled arbitration hearing, will keep the talented defenseman with the Blues through the 2021-22 season on an annual $5.5 million cap hit and will provide needed stability for the team’s defensive group.
While Parayko’s contract is a big one, there’s no question that he’s worth every penny. At 24, he already carries himself like a seasoned veteran, carefully patrolling his own zone while also helping spring the offensive attack. He’s got a monster shot that rivals any other player in the league and is a true threat from the point.
Parayko already has a long list of accolades despite the fact he has only skated in two seasons in the NHL. He quickly cemented himself into the St. Louis roster and instantly joined the conversation of best young defensemen in the league. All of that sounds well worth the annual cap hit of $5.5 million.
The Blues could have been pushed to spend a bit more to keep Parayko, but with his contract now finalized, they may have a bit of space to add one more minor piece.
When asked about the new deal by STLToday, Parayko said that he’s happy to be with the Blues and is excited to have his new contract in place.
“I’m just happy at the end of the day I’ll be in St. Louis the next five years. I love being there. My goal is to play there as long as possible.”
Parayko also discussed the length of the deal and why he ended up with five years.
“There were a lot of factors. Too many almost to sit down to list. We sat down for hours discussing different things, a lot of factors, at end of day, the main thing was, I wanted to play there and I’m looking forward to continuing to do that.”
Blues fans should be thrilled a player like Parayko wants to play in St. Louis. He’s a rare talent who has the ability to completely alter a game. His reliability on defense is worth a new contract on its own, but his offensive skills (the guy has some killer hands and moves along with that shot) make him really special.
Speaking of that shot, let’s hope the Blues use it more (OK, a lot more) in 2017-18.
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