It's hard to believe that someone who is 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds could fly under the radar, but Parayko has been referred to as the St. Louis Blues' secret weapon - or at least he was until the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he excelled on defense to help the Blues win their first Stanley Cup championship. Parayko contributed 12 points two goals, 10 assists) and averaged 25:07 of ice time in 26 games.

Six years later, Parayko was playing some of the best hockey of his career and earned a roster spot for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off while being counted on heavily as the No. 1 defenseman in St. Louis. The following season, he helped Team Canada win silver at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Passed over the first time he was eligible for the NHL Draft, Parayko was selected by the Blues in the third round (No. 86) in 2012. That wasn't new for Parayko, who wasn't selected in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft either and ultimately had a tryout with Fort McMurray of the second-tier Alberta Junior Hockey League, making the team for the 2010-11 season.

Parayko played two seasons for Fort McMurray, scoring nine goals and 42 points in 53 games in 2011-12, then spent three seasons at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, where he was named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association First Team in 2013-14 and 2014-15. After his junior season, Parayko signed an entry-level contract with the Blues on March 10, 2015. He joined Chicago of the American Hockey League for 17 regular-season and five Calder Cup playoff games in 2014-15.

Parayko earned a spot with the Blues in 2015-16 and led NHL rookies with a plus-28 rating. He also was second among rookie defensemen with nine goals, 24 assists and 33 points and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Parayko joined Erik Johnson (2007-08) as the only Blues rookie defenseman to score three game-winning goals.

The St. Albert, Alberta, native made his NHL debut Oct. 8, 2015, against the Edmonton Oilers. He scored his first two NHL goals Oct. 13, 2015, against the Calgary Flames, one of five multipoint games he had as a rookie. Parayko averaged 19:23 of ice time per game during the regular season and increased his workload to 20:07 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

His NHL playoff debut came April 13, 2016, against the Chicago Blackhawks. Parayko got his first NHL playoff point with a goal four days later against Chicago. He led rookies in the playoffs with 31 blocked shots.