NHL-NEWS: According to ESPN, the Florida Panthers have formally traded for Washington Capitals top right defenseman. A three-year, $34.2 million contract was then agreed upon, folowing that…..

NHL Hot Seat Radar: St. Louis Blues Need More From Veteran Defensemen, Including Krug

THN.com’s NHL Hot Seat Radar series is well underway as we continue with the St. Louis Blues. As we continue looking at every NHL franchise in reverse alphabetical order, we’re mentioning one person on the ‘hot seat’ – an individual facing significant pressure to generate positive results or deal with the fallout.

We’re also identifying another individual on the ‘cold seat’ – someone highly likely to remain with their team for quite some time because of their value to their squad. BLUES’ HOT SEAT: TOREY KRUG, D The Blues’ defense corps is filled with veterans, most notably Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy, and Torey Krug. Improvements from all of them would be great, with Krug being the team’s leading scorer among defensemen with 39 points.

But if St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong does take a scalpel to his roster, Krug could be the first blueliner moved if he doesn’t improve next season. Krug does have a full no-trade clause in effect for next season, but it turns into a 15-team no-trade list for the remaining two seasons of his contract, which carries a $6.5-million cap hit following that