After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring, the St. Louis Blues were looking to rebound in 2024-25 and get back into the Top 8 in the Western Conference. If they are to do that, they will have to do it minus one of their top defensemen, who was once deemed a buyout candidate earlier this summer as well as a trade candidate.
Former Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug will underdog season-ending surgery on his left ankle according to according to President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong. This is a big blow for the Blues who now must replace Krug’s ice time and production.
Former Bruins defenseman Torey Krug to miss 2024-25 season
According to the Blues, their big free agent addition in October of 2020 will undergo surgery to address pre-arthritic changes. He signed a seven-year contract with St. Louis with an AAV of $6.5 million. Last season he had four goals and 35 assists in 77 regular-season games and since leaving the Bruins for St. Louis, he has 22 goals and 124 assists. Like he did in Boston, he is averaging over 20 minutes a night in his time with the Blues.
An undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, Krug became a mainstay on Boston’s defense and had a good run with the Black and Gold which included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018-19 where the Bruins lost in seven games to St. Louis. Following the 2020 Playoff Bubble in Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all signs pointed toward Krug leaving in free agency as he had priced himself out of Boston.
He became a fan favorite during his time in Boston and played bigger than his undersized 5-foot-9 frame and rarely backed down from a physical battle. In nine seasons with the Black and Gold, the 33-year-old played in 523 games with 67 goals and 270 assists while averaging 20:19 a night. Here’s hoping for a successful recovery for Krug.