The Buffalo Sabres are going for it at the trade deadline, as evidenced by their talks with the St. Louis Blues. After appearing to make serious gains for Blues center Robert Thomas, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday morning that the two sides were not close to a deal. Even so, that didn't stop trade negotiations, as the Sabres began inquiring about the Blues' defensemen.
On Wednesday, the Sabres seemed to have landed their guy.
According to TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger, the Sabres acquiring Blues defenseman and assistant captain Colton Parayko "is going to happen." Dreger noted that Parayko needed to approve the trade, and shortly afterwards, word was the report was a bit premature.
Well, on Thursday afternoon, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Parayko officially declined the trade to Buffalo using his no-movement clause. Now, the Sabres are back to square one again.
Officially, Colton Parayko has declined to waive his no-trade clause to Buffalo -- as is his contractual right.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 5, 2026
We will see where we go from here
Sabres rejected by Colton Parayko on day before trade deadline
Parayko carries a full no-trade clause until 2027, so he had to approve of the trade. He is under contract for four more seasons, where he is set to account for $6.5 million against the cap annually. So the Sabres were going for a huge commitment on defense, as they seek to end their 14-season playoff drought.
As for what they are giving up, Dreger says that the trade return was believed to include 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick.
Parayko has been with the Blues since 2012, where he was a third-round pick. He solidified himself as a key piece to St. Louis' defense for the past 10 seasons. Plus, he was part of the 2018-19 Blues team that went from last place to Stanley Cup champions. During that playoff run, Parayko picked up two goals and 10 assists in 26 games played.
This season with the Blues, Paryako recorded one goal, 13 assists, a -14 plus/minus ratio, 141 blocked shots, 68 takeaways, and 67 hits in 58 games played. In his 10 seasons with the Blues, Parayko has 78 goals and 231 assists with a +53 plus/minus in 58 games played.
Right shot defenseman with term remaining on their contracts were a priority at this year's trade deadline. Tyler Myers already moved to the Dallas Stars earlier in the day, while MacKenzie Weegar is was traded to the Utah Mammoth. The options are dwindling for teams in need. The Sabres seemingly acquired the right-shot defenseman with most name-power at this year's trade deadline. With 10-years experience and a Stanley Cup to his credit, the Sabres defense would have been significantly upgraded.
Now, it's back to the drawing board for the Sabres. Who do they turn to after losing out on Parayko? Do they target another right-shot defenseman under contract? Could they reunite with Rasmus Ristolainien? The Sabres are serious about not only their pursuit for a playoff spot, but also for a chance to win their first-ever Stanley Cup. We'll see if they have another move up their sleeves.