for comment afterwards. Parayko appeared in 79 regular season games for the Blues, ranking second amongst rookie defensemen in goals, assists, and points. He also led all rookies with a plus-28 rating, which ranked fifth overall in the League and set a franchise rookie record. As a result of his dominating season, Parayko was selected for the NHL All-Rookie Team and ranked eighth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting as rookie of the year. The Blues qualified for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs where they faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks in the First Round, the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Second Round, and the San Jose Sharks in the Semifinals. During the first round, Parayko led the Blues over the Blackhawks by becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to score in a Game 7. After beating the Stars in seven games, the Blues fell to the Sharks in six games with a 4–2 series finale. During the offseason, Parayko competed in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Business Administration on August 12, 2016. When speaking about earning his degree, Parayko said, "Hockey can only last so long. I'm going to have to work after hockey... Having a degree in my back pocket is obviously a bonus." As Team North America failed to medal, he returned to the Blues for their 2016 training camp and was again named to their opening night roster. Picking up on the success of his previous season, Parayko tied the NHL's longest active point streak with five games and ranked fourth among all defensemen in assists by December. He ended the season with a career-high 35 points over 81 games and re-signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract worth $5.5 million annually to stay with the Blues. Entering his third season with the Blues, expectations were high on Parayko to improve on his previous season. He began the 2017–18 season on pace to produce more goals, points, power-play points and play more minutes than the previous season. After captain Alex Pietrangelo suffered a foot injury during a game against the Detroit Red Wings, Parayko was given an A on his jersey to symbolize his temporary appointment to alternate captain. As more injuries fell on the Blues during the second half of the season, Parayko played on the second defensive pairing with newcomer Vince