3 reasons the Maple Leafs should pull off a blockbuster for Colton Parayko

Parayko would bring a lot of stability to Toronto in the defensive zone

Despite the Maple Leafs strong play, they are still 16th in goals allowed, and you can’t completely drop blame onto the goaltenders. Toronto has given up 1,685 shots against across 57 games, and some simple math shows us that the quotient equals 29.5 shots on goal against per contest, something they can stand to improve over the season’s final month-and-a-half. 

In 57 games with the Blues this season, Parayko has 145 blocked shots, which are steamrolling toward his career-high of 169. His 47 takeaways are just 12 away from a new personal-best, so his presence on Toronto’s top-four would surely take away a few of those would-be shots on goal. 

Further, his on-ice presence has been priceless for a St. Louis Blues team that ranks 15th in the league in goals allowed, just one notch above Toronto. And at even strength, the Blues boast an on-ice save percentage of 91.7 with Parayko and 91.6 at 5-on-5. 

His offensive zone starting percentage is 40.5 and 41.5 respectively in both situations, but with a Corsi and Fenwick of 43.7 or better in both situations, we also know he’s helping St. Louis find potential shooting lanes in the offensive zone. If you put him on someone like Toronto, who has much more scoring potential, Parayko’s presence could parlay the team to new heights.