Sabres’ Colton Parayko trade falls through

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Buffalo Sabres were moving toward acquiring defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues but were unable to close the deal. Parayko had to waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres, and he declined to do so, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

On "Frankly Hockey," Frank Seravalli indicated that Parayko is open to a trade from St. Louis, but he will not accept a move to Buffalo, specifically. As frustrating as it may be for both clubs, it is Parayko’s right to dictate where he goes, given the no-trade protection in his contract.

It’s unknown at this time if defensive prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick were the only pieces that would have headed to the Blues in the deal. If that’s the case, Buffalo had the opportunity to amass arguably the best defensive corps in the league.

Missing out on a player of Parayko’s stature will sting, but there are a few remaining options for the Sabres. Justin Faulk, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Logan Stanley, among others, are all options currently on the market that Buffalo could target. Depending on how long the Sabres  negotiated with the Blues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them turn around and acquire Faulk.

Unfortunately, it does paint a negative picture for the Sabres. Despite the team being on fire this year and heading toward the postseason for the first time in a decade, they are still having trouble encouraging outside talent to join the team. Factoring in Seravalli’s report, it’s clear that Parayko simply didn’t want to head to New York.

Meanwhile, it’s not the best situation for St. Louis either. There’s no reporting on how many teams are interested in Parayko. If the Blues are unable to move him before the deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, it’ll become awkward at the very least. While it remains a business decision, Parayko’s connection to the community may lead to feelings of animosity regarding the situation, particularly since the trade was leaked before he had a chance to approve it.

Things can and will change fast this time of year. Over the last few days, Parayko and Tyler Myers have each had their names leaked in trade conversations, only to veto the trade. Still, given that he’s willing to consider different clubs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Parayko approve a trade somewhere else.