Earlier this month, the Blues announced that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss six weeks before being re-evaluated after undergoing a scope on his knee. With only six weeks left in the year, it was reasonable to infer that this would be a season-ending issue for the veteran.
But that might not be the case after all. Speaking with reporters today including Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Jim Montgomery opened the door for the possibility that his top defender could be back earlier than anticipated:
Do I think he’s going to be six weeks? I do not think he’s going to be six weeks. That’s just me because that’s my belief in him and our athletic training staff and our doctors. Outside of that, I don’t know how much sooner than six weeks.
The 31-year-old was well on his way to setting a new career-high in points this season, notching 15 goals and 20 assists through his first 64 outings. As it stands, he has matched his personal best in the points department, a mark he has now hit four times. Parayko also leads the Blues in ATOI (23:51) and blocked shots (140), making his absence a very significant one with St. Louis remaining in the mix for a Wild Card spot.
It’s possible that how the Blues fare in these next few weeks could ultimately dictate if Parayko ultimately makes it back. If the team falls out of the mix before then, it might make more sense for the blueliner to simply shut it down for the rest of the year anyway to avoid any risks heading into the offseason. If he does make it back before the end of the campaign though, he’ll be the third Blue to do so this season after Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each came back a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.