RUMOUR: Star Player Has Played His Last Game in St. Louis?

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James Connelly
August 31, 2023 (11:00)

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New reports have emerged and there is a solid chance that a star player will be on his way out.

Krug To Be Traded?

Torey Krug has been a staple on the St. Louis Blues' backend for three years now and is locked up for four more seasons of being on their back end. However, he may be waiving his no-trade clause if the right opportunity arises.

He reportedly called off a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers because he did not want to play there but this could have left a bad taste in Krug's mouth.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic writes the following:

«But I'm going to predict that a Krug trade happens during this season for three reasons:

1. Even though he has handled the Philadelphia situation professionally, it's a potentially awkward and distracting situation.
2. The Blues have a lot of defensive depth and will want to get Scott Perunovich in the lineup.
3. The team's payroll is near the NHL's $83.5 million salary cap, and moving out Krug's cap hit would go a long way in giving them some cushion."

What Krug Will Cost

Krug is an enigma of a defenseman. Standing at only 5'9", he is quite undersized but he also plays like he is a foot taller than he actually is. He makes his money in the offensive zone as a powerplay quarterback and has the point totals to back it up.

Last year was one of the worst years of his career but if he is able to bounce back, he could help a contender out. The main problem with a Krug trade would be his cap hit.

He makes $26 million over the next four years in terms of his cap hit but in real contract dollars, he is making $31.5 million which will cost teams more against their wallets than against the cap.

At the end of the day, the cost to acquire Krug would be great but if the Blues need to make a move, he could be on his way out.

As seen on The Athletic - Ten bold Blues predictions for 2023-24: Kyrou's goal total, Krug's trade status and more