Torey Krug soldiered on until he could soldier no more.
Krug won’t try to power through pain again this season. Instead, he must recover from surgery to fuse the ankle joint he damaged six years ago during a bone-fracturing crash into the boards.
Just when you thought his tenure in St. Louis couldn’t get more difficult, it did.
Krug struggled to live up to the seven-year, $45.5 million free-agent contract he signed with the Blues after defensive cornerstone Alex Pietrangelo left as a free agent.
Even at his best, Krug couldn’t replace all that Pietrangelo did. He couldn’t defend at Petro’s exceptional level, nor could he replace his leadership while coming in from the outside.
That Krug became tied so directly to the departed captain of the Stanley Cup-winning team was unfortunate. Krug is a highly accomplished player in his own right, but he couldn’t measure up.
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Injuries made the scenario even worse for Krug. So did the configuration of Blues defensive corps.
Justin Faulk arrived earlier as an offensive defenseman known for possessing a heavy shot on the power play. Here, he shouldered more defensive responsibility. To his credit, Faulk evolved into a better all-around player.
Krug is an offensive defenseman known for his playmaking with the man advantage. Here, he played a top-four role, often next to Faulk rather than a true stay-at-home defender.
Nick Leddy’s arrival added still another offensive-minded defenseman. Here, Leddy fell into a shutdown role playing next to Colton Parayko and also evolved and did surprisingly well in that role.
But the group was still light on shutdown defenders. The demographic alignment was wrong too with Leddy, Parayko, Krug and Faulk playing under long-term contracts well into their 30s.
General manager Doug Armstrong tried to trade Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers for prime-age defender Travis Sanheim. This deal would have gone on Armstrong’s greatest hits list, right up there sending the ghost of Jori Lehtera to Philly as part of the Brayden Schenn trade and sending Vladimir Sobokta and Patrik Berglund (and their onerous contracts) to Buffalo in the Ryan O’Reilly blockbuster.
Alas, Krug used his no-trade protection to nix that trade. He refused to uproot his family to play for taskmaster coach John Tortorella and face the likelihood of getting traded again, as the Flyers were rebuilding.
He gutted it out for 77 Blues games last season with “pre-arthritic changes in his ankle.†That didn’t sound so bad until Krug described the constant pain his deteriorating ankle joint created.
Krug is a fierce competitor and a stand-up guy. He played through this injury and others without making excuses for any slippage in play.
Now at age 33, he will face a challenging post-surgical rehabilitation and a daunting comeback. Logging 20-plus minutes of full-tilt hockey after undergoing this joint particular fusion ... well, that just hasn’t happened. He will become a case study if he makes it back.
With Krug on long-term injured reserve and out from under the salary cap, the Blues could assemble a better-fitting defensive corps with younger elements.
This is an awful way to reset — given the ordeal facing Krug — but the Blues must move forward.
Newcomer Philip Broberg, 23, has the rangy build and smooth skating ability to become a top-four defender someday. Armstrong bet $9.16 million over two years that he can grow into such a role. That speculative free-agent offer sheet was well worth the risk given the Blues’ predicament.
Matt Kessel, 24, will bid for a nucleus spot after his encouraging rookie campaign. He is a reliable defender who could play on the third paring this season and shoulder a bigger workload down the road. Coach Drew Bannister loved him in the AHL and trusts him here.
Newcomer Pierre-Olivier Joseph, 25, is the right age to move forward with this team — if he can earn regular work, as he did previously in Pittsburgh.
Scott Perunovich, 26, will take another stab at fitting into the long-term nucleus. He is an exceptional playmaker who could fill Krug’s power-play role if he asserts himself as a shooter and if he cleans up his defensive zone play at even strength.
Newcomer Ryan Suter could extend his career here after signing on as a free agent. He played about 19 minutes per game last season and killed penalties on the strong Dallas Stars.
But Suter turns 40 this season. He is a stopgap addition, hired to help the Blues buy developmental time for their young veterans and prospects on the blue line.
If these pieces come together, the Blues could emerge with a better defensive group for the long haul.
As for Krug, his first priority is getting healthy enough to enjoy life with his family. For the next year, hockey will be secondary.
“I have a great support staff here, my teammates, coaches have been amazing too, especially know how tough it’s going to be,†Krug said. “All the doors are going to be open. I’ll be around for sure. Continue to rehab, keep moving forward.â€