NHL’s best players under age 25 for 2017: Colton Parayko ranks No. 20 on the verge of greater responsibility

Note: This is SB Nation NHL’s top 25 players under age 25 series! We’ll be covering each player from No. 25 to No. 1 over the next few weeks leading up to training camp time. See the complete list and information on how the rankings were compiled.

While the departure of Kevin Shattenkirk from the Blues back end hurt St. Louis in the short term, the team has no shortage of young defensemen to fill the gap. Leading the way for the Blues is Colton Parayko, a stud blueliner who is just entering the start of his prime.

The 24-year-old defenseman has been with the Blues for only two seasons, but his impact on the St. Louis blue line has been extreme. Since joining the Blues at the start of the 2015-16 season, Parayko has put up a pair of 30 point seasons, including a career high of 35 points and 31 assists last year. Though Parayko won’t lead NHL defensemen in goals, his playmaking skills make him one of the Blues best set-up men on the team.

Not only that: Parayko has done so while averaging just over 20 minutes a night between his first two seasons as he’s anchored the Blues’ second pairing. Given Parayko’s trajectory, it’s not out of the question that the young defenseman could knock an aging Jay Bouwmeester off the top line this upcoming season.

For good reason too. Parayko holds a 52.8 career even strength Corsi For percentage, according to Hockey Reference. While Parayko dipped to just above 50 percent last year, he played most of his even strength minutes with a below-average possession player in Joel Edmundson.

Also of note is how Parayko’s role has slightly changed with the Blues. In his rookie season, Parayko was deployed more often in the offensive zone to protect the young star from mistakes in his own end. In his sophomore season, however, Parayko was given slightly more defensive zone starts at even strength, signaling the organization’s trust in the blueliner to handle a bit more defensive responsibility.

It makes sense, then, that the Blues locked Parayko into a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension this offseason to take the 24-year-old defenseman almost to age 30. While Parayko may not reach the upper echelon of a do-it-all defenseman, his burgeoning offensive skill and playmaking abilities are more than enough to rank him at No. 20 on our list.

It took a while for Parayko to find a foothold in the NHL, as he was drafted in the third round at 86th overall by the Blues back in 2012. Parayko spent three years playing college hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, including one year as the team’s captain, before signing his entry-level deal with the Blues in 2015.

The defenseman played 17 regular season games with the Blues AHL team, the Chicago Wolves, in 2015 before the team bowed out in five games in the Calder Cup quarterfinals.

At the start of the 2015-16 season, Parayko made his debut with the Blues and netted 33 points in 79 games as a rookie. That year, Parayko placed eighth in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s top rookie of the season.

Though Parayko has just two years of NHL experience under his belt, his rise above average defensemen has been swift. Parayko has yet to absolutely dominate the conversation like a Shayne Gostisbehere or a Seth Jones, but he’s been extremely consistent though his first two years in the NHL.

Parayko will be 25 next May, giving the Blues more than a handful of years of the young defenseman in his prime. It’s likely that Parayko might even break out a bit next season, as the absence of Shattenkirk has freed up ice time across the board.

Parayko, all things considered, is a two-way defenseman given his nearly equal time spent being deployed in the offensive and defensive zone. Though his offensive numbers are more punchy than his possession metrics, Parayko isn’t a detriment to the Blues when he’s on the ice and can clearly be trusted handling time in his own zone.

It’s possible Bouwmeester gets moved off the top line to make way for Parayko this upcoming season, but the Blues might also keep the young blueliner on the second line to spread the wealth. Recently the Blues have been deploying captain Alex Pietrangelo on the first line more often in the defensive zone than offensive zone, as he’s averaged a 53.8 defensive zone start percentage at even strength over the past three years. Parayko’s upside comes from his offensive playmaking abilities, so he may not thrive given the top line’s role.

Where the Blues might find some traction is increasing the second pairing’s ice time and limiting the third line of Carl Gunnarsson and Robert Bortuzzo. Even better would be putting Parayko on the top power-play line in Shattenkirk’s spot and letting the kid thrive more in an offensive role there.

Though those are just a few options, it seems likely the Blues will up Parayko’s role with the team in some shape or form as the young defenseman hits his stride.

We’ve made it known before that there have been some incredible young defensemen left off this list. Where Parayko takes a hit against others like Jones, John Klingberg, or Dougie Hamilton is his longevity in the league. Parayko has played only two years at the NHL level, while others have longer — and maybe more impressive in some spots — resumes.

Even still, Parayko’s numbers across those two years have been extremely consistent, and his play-generating abilities have made him stand out from the crowd. The 24-year-old has shown next-level playmaking skills and he has the talent, though not the overall goals, of a No. 1 defenseman in any system.

There’s a lot to like and be excited about in Parayko’s game, and it’s the reason he’s slid into our rankings at the No. 20 spot.

Highest rank: No. 8

Lowest rank: Not ranked