The latest Buffalo Sabres trade update involving the St. Louis Blues isn’t all bad.
Yes, it sounds like the Robert Thomas rumors may have reached their ending without a deal. But there are other players the Blues have that the Sabres might like.
TSN’s Darren Dreger shared this on X on Wednesday morning:
“Sabres and Blues have also been focused on a Dman. Buffalo wants a right shot, so Parayko or Faulk have been mentioned as possibilities.”
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That’s Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk being mentioned there by Dreger.
Faulk has been much more heavily involved in trade rumors so far, with the deadline approaching on Friday. Parayko’s name hasn’t come up much.
The veteran Faulk is reaching the end of his contract, making him a more logical player for the Blues to send away amid a struggling season.
Parayko just was part of Team Canada at the Olympics, and he’s clearly a big-time performer when the stage calls for it.
This rumor does add up with previous reporting about the Sabres this week. Multiple insiders have suggested the idea of Buffalo reuniting with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who is on the block from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ristolainen, like Faulk and Parayko, is a right-shot defenseman. Clearly, the Sabres feel like they have a need there.
A Faulk deal with the Blues would certainly cost less than Parayko, but Buffalo must have a good sense for who St. Louis likes based on the long negotiations involving Thomas. These teams may still get a trade done, even if it’s not the first one everyone was expecting.
