The St. Louis Blues have signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Torey Krug to a seven-year deal worth $6.5 million per season, equalling $45.5 million total. This contract carries Krug through the 2026–27 season.
Krug is 7x$6.5M
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 10, 2020
Torey Krug Signs with St. Louis
The Bruins will certainly be parting with their longtime defenceman this offseason. Krug has spent seven years as a full-time member of the squad, and played games in two other seasons as well. Across his nine seasons as a Bruin, Krug has played 523 games in a black and gold uniform and tallied 67 goals and 270 assists for 337 points. Krug’s been a stellar power-play quarterback over the years for the team, with 24 of those 67 goals coming on the man-advantage. He’s consistently logged over 20 minutes a night for the past five seasons. It will be difficult for the Bruins to replace Krug’s spot in the lineup.
What This Means For the Future
The Blues are getting an instant boost to their power-play; Krug is one of the best in the league at controlling play at five-on-four. Of course with Krug signing this likely all but ensures the end of Alex Pietrangelo‘s time as the captain in St. Louis.
The Blues are also gaining defensive depth just by his acquisition. Krug is certainly capable of playing second-pairing minutes and could slot into the top pair if needed. He’s likely more suited for a second-pairing role, as his defensive deficiencies may be exposed by first-pairing responsibilities. Largely an offensive defenceman, Krug has never been known for his defensive prowess. The Blues should pair him with someone more defensively responsible. A pairing with Brandon Carlo in Boston maximized Krug’s effectiveness, so a similar setup will be necessary in order to get the most out of his play.
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