Colton Parayko Trade Being Finalized by Blues

The first huge shoe (skate) to drop from the St. Louis Blues sell-off will apparently be defenseman Colton Parayko. A report from insider Darren Dreger of TSN has the 6’6″ defender going to the Buffalo Sabres.

Colton Parayko is being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, pending player approval, per @DarrenDreger. pic.twitter.com/ULIHwhpVKI

— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) March 4, 2026

Parayko does have a full no-trade clause, so the deal is pending the player’s approval.

The seeds of this trade were obviously planted during a furious negotiating day on Tuesday between the teams, when Blues young star center Robert Thomas was the focus of attention. But the Sabres quickly pivoted, and are about to land another huge piece for their blueline.

Dreger suggests that Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick will be part of the Blues’ return. Mrtka was the Sabres’ first-round pick in the 2025 Draft, at No. 9 overall. He, like Parayko, is a 6’6″ beast on the blueline, and brings a lot of the same attributes to the game that the Blues’ veteran does, but with more physicality.

Parayko, 32, still has four years to run on his contract with a $6.5 million AAV. The strong skating, puck-moving, shut-down d-man will bring some tremendous skills to the already-elite Buffalo blueline. He uses his size and reach to disrupt plays and block shots. He has 141 blocks so far this season in 58 games and has been around the 150-block mark or better seven times in his career. 

The Sabres, poised to make their first trip back to the playoffs in 15 years, are going for it. Exciting times in the NHL.

Photo: © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images