Emergence of Parayko has made a big difference for Blues this season

After playing a few games alongside massive St. Louis Blues rookie defenseman Colton Parayko, Kevin Shattenkirk saw it right away — the secret as to why Parayko has become such a difference-maker this season.

Before Friday, the 6-foot-6, 226-pound Parayko ranked second among all NHL rookie defensemen with eight goals and 31 points. Only Philadelphia rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (16 goals, 42 points before Friday) had more.

“Everyone was talking about his shot and how big he was, but I think the the way he moves at his size is really unbelievable,” Shattenkirk said of the 22-year-old Parayko, whose plus-minus rating of plus-26 was the best of any rookie in the league, third among all defenseman and ninth overall.

“He ends plays very quickly in your defensive zone and it’s not so much the creating offense part of the game that leads to plus-minus,” Shattenkirk said. “It’s how little you stay in your zone. Playing with him, he’s someone who’s so long and he can skate so well and he’s so strong that really anything that goes into his corner, he’s able to kind of swallow up and start the transition the other way.

“It’s great to see — and it’s fun to see first-hand.”

Growing up quickly

Parayko has come a long way this season for a guy who definitely wasn’t being counted on to win an NHL roster spot in training camp.

Along with eight goals and 31 points, he’s filled in on virtually every defense pairing because of the numerous injuries the team has endured. Parayko’s lethal shot from the point has become a power-play weapon and he also kills penalties.

He’s tied Erik Johnson’s Blues rookie defenseman record with three game-winning goals, was the first Blues rookie defenseman to score two goals in a game since 2001 and fired off 10 shots against Anaheim on Oct. 29. His current point total is the fourth-highest by a rookie defenseman in franchise history.

“It’s been incredible,” said Parayko, a former All-American at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks who played only 17 games in the minors last season before making the large jump to the NHL. “It’s been quite the journey, it’s been a whirlwind almost. I’ve been telling people I’m just trying to stay in it right now.

“I think at the end of the year I’m going to be looking back and it’s going to be pretty memorable and pretty cool.”

Parayko was gracious in his praise for his teammates and the way they have aided his rapid transition into the league.

“The guys in this locker room have helped me out tremendously throughout this rookie season, so I can’t sat enough about them,” he said. “It’s made my rookie season that much easier. There’s always guys that are helping you out, whether it be forwards or defensemen and obviously coaches as well.

“They work with you in practice and try to get everything down. We’re in a winning business and you want to be successful.”

The emergence of rookie defensemen Parayko and Joel Edmundson and rookie forward Robby Fabbri have been a big plus for a Blues team that reached 100 points for the third straight season.

All three have carved out solid roles for themselves on a mostly veteran-laden club whie also helping fill the numerous holes created by so many injuries to key players.

Hitting the rookie wall – and bursting through

At 27, Shattenkirk isn’t that far removed from his days as a rookie with the Colorado Avalanche. He has a good handle on the tough transition players like Parayko have to make, as well as the emotional roller-coaster ride of ups and downs most rookies deal with on a regular basis.

“Early on in the season everyone was so enamored by him and excited,” Shattenkirk said. “What we saw out of him, from our point of view, was just how well he skated. That’s one thing that I noticed right away.

“He’s gone through some growing pains, I think a month or two ago he kind of hit that midseason wall, which I think a lot of young guys do. But I think the way that he’s pulled through it, he’s been great.”

Parayko said being able to experience such a successful first season along with Edmundson and Fabbri has created much more than a bond of friendship. There are shared experienced that will last a lifetime.

“One-hundred percent,” Parayko said with a smile. “Obviously we’ve become close this year and it’s fun. We have a chance to go through the same thing, kind of the same childhood dream of making the NHL and playing in the NHL. Having two other guys to go along the way with me is pretty exciting.

“Getting to do that with someone else is unreal.”

Plus-minus can be a misleading stat, but plus-26 is an obvious barometer of just how well Parayko has played this season. Part of that total is his offense, but the numbers go much deeper.

“Yeah, it’s amazing,” said Shattenkirk, whose plus-minus was at minus-15 before Friday. “Kudos to him because I think he was able to get off to a good start and jumped out to a pretty good plus-minus early on.

“The ability to stay there and not drop tremendously is tough because once you get on either side of it, it seems like it’s one of those trains that’s hard to stop.”

Parayko’s performance has placed him in an elite group of the league’s top rookies this season. His numbers are not important for now, it’s helping the Blues prepare for a longer playoff run that their first-round exits in each of the last three seasons.

“At the end of the year I think you can look back at it and whatever, it is what it is,” he said of his own stats. “As long as you show up and be prepared to help the team win, that’s what’s most important.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 4:17 PM.