The Buffalo Sabres and St. Louis Blues were involved in a number of trade deadline talks during the 2025-26 season. There were a couple of different scenarios on the table, as the Blues were selling some of their core pieces off.
And, the Sabres were looking to upgrade as they were heading toward a 14-year playoff drought-breaking moment.
Blues general manager and president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong and Sabres top-guy Jarmo Kekäläinen reached a deal for defenseman Colton Parayko. The Sabres would have been giving up a first-round selection and top-tier prospect Radim Mrtka.
That is were some craziness began, and the Sabres lucked out because of it.
A blessing In disguise
Parayko is a fine defenseman, but his 2025-26 campaign was one of the worst of his long-tenured career with the Blues. He took a major step back in offensive production and was a liability on the defensive side. Not to mention, he was abnormally soft in the corners, which is his usual bread and butter due to his big size and heavy weight.
After both sides were able to strike this deal, Parayko had the final say. In a very unusual case, and one that continues to plague the Blues due to how many of these that they have, No. 55 has a no-trade clause, and he must waive it prior to being traded.
Buffalo and St. Louis approved the move, but Parayko did not. He would not waive his contract, which then completely nullified the deal.
Now, after all of that dust has settled, it was truly a blessing in disguise as the Sabres did not need to bulk up on the defensive side to make the playoffs. In fact, it looks like their defense is going to be just fine as long as the development of the aforementioned Mrtka continues.
Of course, now that the championship window is open for the Sabres, and that last showcase in 2025-26 was for real, they can now bulk up with their first-round pick and the impending free-agency period.
And, they don't have to worry about being handicapped by Parayko's monster $6.5 million AAV deal, which runs through the 2029-30 season. A change of scenery might have turned him around, but regarding his 2025-26 run, both with the Blues and at the Olympics with Team Canada, Parayko just had a bad year in general.
The Sabres, however, dodged a big bullet and can now improve themselves even more than if they had actually been awarded this deal.
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