Torey Krug injury update: Blues handed devastating blow over $45.5M star's availability

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug has been ruled out for the entire 2024-25 NHL season. Krug underwent surgery to address pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle, and that will mean that he will take no part in the upcoming season.

The Blues announced the devastating news on social media on Tuesday. According to the press release, the decision to have surgery came after Krug made an effort to rehabilitate from the injury through non-surgical interventions.

The 33-year-old sustained a foot injury last offseason and had been dealing with it for quite some time before finally opting to go for surgery.

Krug skated in 77 games last season, recording 4 goals and 35 assists for 39 points.

The defenseman signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the Blues on the opening day of free agency in 2020. He spent his first nine NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins.

Krug has spent the last four seasons with the Blues. In his NHL career, he's skated in 778 games, recording 89 goals and 394 assists for 483 points.

Blues make an addition to defense after Torey Krug's injury

With Torey Krug dealing with an injury, the St. Louis Blues offer sheeted defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton opted to not match either deal and both players will be on the Blues' roster next season. Broberg will help fill the void left by Krug's absence.

Offer sheeting a player is rare, but Blues GM Doug Armstrong is fine with it.

"I’ve read what people are writing. If there is a GM code not to do offer sheets, no one emailed it to me," Armstrong said, via TSN. "This is a tool that I think everyone uses and should use... So, there’s no code. I did talk to some people in the league. ... Offer sheets are there if you think you’re going to get the player.

"I don't believe in offer sheets to harm an organization. Meaning, put an offer sheet on because you know they’re going to match, but it puts them in a bad spot. That for me, at least, I wouldn't do that. I don’t see the purpose in that. I think the purpose of an offer sheet is, if you look at a franchise and you think you have opportunity to get a player, you do it and that’s the way we looked at this one."

Last season with the Oilers, Broberg had two assists in 12 games, and had two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason.