St. Louis Blues Defenseman Could be a Buyout Candidate
48 hours after a Stanley Cup Champion is crowned, NHL teams can start to reshape their roster for the upcoming season by buying out players. Could the Blues be eyeing to buy out one of their top four defensemen?
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Servalli a few days ago released a list of nine candidates who could be bought out. The sixth name on his list was St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug. The Blues have missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2009-2011 and GM Doug Armstrong could look to shake up his roster to get his squad back into the playoffs.
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Not long ago, Krug vetoed a trade to Philadelphia, and maybe there’s still a sore spot in his relationship with the Blues. Armstrong signed the former Bruins defender to a seven-year contract worth $6.5 million annually in 2020.
The Blues would have to pay Krug for the next six years, carrying a cap penalty of $335,000 to $2.33 million if he is bought out.
Starting in 2025-26, Krug’s no-trade clause will turn into a modified no-trade clause where he will submit a 15-team no-trade list. So, there is the possibility that St. Louis will wait it out one more year before looking to trade the 5-foot-9 defenseman again.
The Blues have a younger defenseman in their organization who looks ready to seize a full-time roster spot. Scott Perunovich is a pending RFA and needs a new contract, but his skill set is eerily similar to Torey Krug. He played 54 games with the big club this year and showed that he has the potential to quarterback the powerplay at the NHL level. Additionally, he is a lot younger and will be 26 when the 2024-25 season begins.
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Not to mention that Matthew Kessel (though plays a completely different style) looks NHL-ready and could make a push for a full-time roster spot next season as well.
Krug’s first two years in St. Louis looked like a promising investment. Known for his ability to quarterback a powerplay and create offense from the backend, he recorded 75 points (most amongst Blues defensemen) in 115 games and was a plus-34.
However, his last two seasons haven’t been as glowing. His production hasn’t deteriorated. He’s scored 71 points (second most amongst Blues defensemen) in 140 games, but his plus/minus rating has plummeted. His minus-57 is the third-worst amongst NHL defensemen behind Sharks' Mario Ferraro (minus-69) and Anaheim’s Cam Fowler (minus-59).
Krug’s average time on ice has also seen a decrease. The 33-year-old is behind Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, and Nick Leddy in the Blues’ defensive lineup. His even strength time on ice average over the last two seasons is 16:55, which has fallen from 18:20 in his first two years.
Even though he still provides offensive value to the team, the numbers suggest he has become a defensive liability. His 39.60% goals for and 37.50% high-danger goals for percentage ranked bottom on the Blues this past year.
The team will have to decide if his offensive production and value have been enough to keep him on the team, or if his defensive decline warrants a change of scenery.