Colton Parayko joins Blues for morning skate but return to games still 'a long ways away'

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko skated with the rest of his teammates on Tuesday for the first time since undergoing a scope on his left knee that has kept him out of the lineup for almost three weeks.

Parayko was on the ice for morning skate before the Blues hosted the Canadiens on Tuesday, a positive step in his recovery from a knee injury that was initially forecast to keep him out of the rest of the regular season.

“I know he’s a long ways away,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s great to have him out there. It’s just the first step in the recovery process towards becoming a player for us. I was just happy with the pace and execution of our team.”

Parayko suffered his injury March 5 in Los Angeles when he fell awkwardly at the blue line in overtime against the Kings.

The next day, the Blues announced that Parayko would undergo a scope procedure and be reevaluated in six weeks. But Parayko could even return before that timeline, which would have put him on track to return for the first round of the playoffs.

Last Wednesday, Montgomery said that he expected Parayko to return before the six-week timeline.

“Do I think he’s going to be six weeks?” Montgomery said after practice on March 19. “I do not think he’s going to be six weeks. That’s just me because that’s my belief in him and our athletic training staff and our doctors. Outside of that, I don’t know how much sooner than six weeks.”

If Parayko returns early, he will be the third Blues player to return early from an injury this season. Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg were both back four weeks into an announced six-week timeline in the fall.

Without Parayko, the Blues have had to adjust in many ways. While Nick Leddy took his spot on a pairing alongside Cam Fowler, the Blues have leaned on Broberg and Justin Faulk as their top pair. Tyler Tucker has become a staple in the lineup and has taken on much of the penalty-killing duties left behind by Parayko.

Dvorsky sits

With the return of Oskar Sundqvist and Leddy to the Blues lineup Tuesday, it meant Dalibor Dvorsky and Matthew Kessel came out of the group. Dvorsky made his NHL debut Sunday in Sundqvist’s spot on the third line but was a healthy scratch Tuesday against Montreal.

“I spoke to him before we went out,” Montgomery said. “We were really happy with his first game in the league. It shows his hockey sense, shows his poise with the puck. Game management was beyond his years, as far as he didn’t complicate the game, he didn’t force anything, allowed us to play to our identity. Today is an opportunity to be part of a morning skate, be part of practice tomorrow, watch the game tonight and grow and learn about why we’ve had success here recently.”

Dvorsky played 10:40 on 16 shifts Sunday evening, helping set up a Blues power-play goal, even though he did not pick up an assist on the play.

Was it tempting for Montgomery to keep Dvorsky, the team’s No. 10 pick in 2023, in the lineup?

“It’s very tempting to keep him in, but I think as a coach you’ve got to reward the guys that have gotten you here,” Montgomery said. “Those guys have battled hard, and they’re all fresh and rested right now, so we’re going to go with the horses that have got us here.”

Dvorsky’s contract is slide-eligible because he’s a teenager, meaning his contract would slide a year if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games (regular season and postseason combined) this season, and he would be projected as a restricted free agent in 2028. If he plays 10 games, it would use a year of his contract, and he would hit RFA in 2027.

Buchnevich update

Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was not on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate. The team announced that Buchnevich missed this weekend’s games against Chicago and Nashville due to illness, and Montgomery said he was “doing better, not a player yet.”

Buchnevich has only played one game since he absorbed a big hit last week in Nashville by Michael McCarron. Asked if Buchnevich’s current absence was related to that hit, Montgomery said “it’s something different.”

Blues sign pair

The Blues announced Tuesday morning they signed forward Adam Jecho and defenseman Lukas Fischer to three-year entry-level contracts that begin in the 2025-26 season. Fischer (currently with OHL Sarnia) was a second-round pick in 2024, while Jecho (WHL Edmonton) was taken in the third round in 2024.

On March 1, teams could start signing players to contracts that begin next season.