Blues GM: Parayko just starting to scratch the surface

The St. Louis Blues are banking on the fact that the best is still to come from Colton Parayko.

The club locked up the 24-year-old defenseman Thursday, avoiding arbitration by coming to terms on a five-year, $27.5-million contract.

"We think that he's just starting to scratch the surface on what he's becoming in this league," general manager Doug Armstrong said, according to NHL.com. "He's got two years now of service where he understands the commitment necessary, he understands the league, he understands the players. We just think he has a really strong upside and we're excited to have him for the next five years."

Armstrong added, "There's a saying that an NHL defenseman doesn't really define himself until about 250 or 300 games. He's around 160, so there's still some growth there, some definition going into his game, but he's got all the tools to be a very good player over time, and we're excited to have him part of our group."

Parayko has amassed 33 and 35 points respectively in his first two seasons in the league while becoming a dominant force on the Blues' back end. If Armstrong is correct about what Parayko will become, that $5.5 million annual average could be a bargain.