St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko declined to waive his no-movement clause, blocking a trade to the Buffalo Sabres, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
The Sabres were reportedly finalizing a deal Wednesday that would have sent prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick to St. Louis in exchange for Parayko.
Parayko is under contract for four more seasons at a cap hit of $6.5 million. He has a full NMC until 2028-29, when his protection drops to a 15-team no-trade clause, according to PuckPedia.
The 32-year-old has 14 points in 58 games this season, a major drop from the 16-goal campaign he produced in 2024-25. Despite the offensive dip, Parayko is one of the NHL's top shutdown defenders. He represented Canada at the Olympics in February and at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Sabres reportedly pushed to acquire Blues forward Robert Thomas earlier this week but couldn't reach an agreement. Currently two points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Atlantic Division lead, Buffalo is on track to snap an NHL record 14-year playoff drought this spring.
The Blues sit 15th in the Western Conference and are reportedly taking calls on several players before Friday's trade deadline.
