Everyone thought that the Buffalo Sabres had Colton Parayko right before the trade deadline, and all that was missing was him waiving his no-movement clause. In what may have come as a surprise to many, Parayko did not waive his clause, and he'll be with the St. Louis Blues for the remainder of the season.
It was a long week for Parayko, general manager Doug Armstrong, and Parayko's agent, Gerry Johannson.
Parayko missed a meeting that Armstrong set up with a few of the Blues players to let them know that they may have to waive their no-movement clause, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. Armstrong then reached out to Johannson about a potential trade, and Armstrong texted Parayko, letting him know.
Later on in the day, TSN’s Darren Dreger broke news of the trade.
“That’s when my phone started blowing up,” Parayko said. “That’s my understanding, at least. I’m not really sure, to be honest, because I was trying to make my own phone calls and figure out my own personal stuff.”
The next day, Parayko woke up and came to the realization that he was happy being with the Blues, and he didn't want to waive his clause. Some people thought that it meant he didn't want to be a part of the Sabres, but it was more about staying with a team he wanted to continue to build with.
“They have a great team, and they’re one of the hottest teams in the league right now,” Parayko said. “Guys love playing there, and they have a good alumni group. It actually kind of sounds a little bit like St. Louis with our alumni group.
“So that’s definitely not the case at all, and it sucks that it gets portrayed that way because it got out. But it has nothing to do with the organization at all. It’s just at this specific time, when I had to make a decision, I love being a Blue, so that’s it.”
