Veteran St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko used his contract’s no-trade provision to block a potential deal with the Buffalo Sabres, according to multiple media reports released Thursday.
The proposed transaction, which surfaced Wednesday, would have brought the 32-year-old defender to Buffalo while sending 18-year-old defenseman Radim Mrtka and a first-round selection to St. Louis.
The veteran blueliner has spent his complete 11-season NHL career in St. Louis and remains under contract through the 2029-30 campaign. His current eight-year, $52 million agreement, now in its fourth year, carries an annual salary cap impact of $6.5 million and includes the no-trade protection he invoked.
Standing 6-foot-6, Parayko has recorded one goal and 14 total points across 58 contests this season while averaging 22 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time per game. His 141 blocked shots currently rank third league-wide.
Originally selected by St. Louis in the third round of the 2012 draft, Parayko helped the Blues capture the 2019 Stanley Cup championship. Throughout his career, he has accumulated 309 points on 78 goals and 231 assists over 781 regular season appearances.
Buffalo selected Mrtka with the ninth overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Teams have until 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday to complete trades before the NHL deadline passes.
