The Blues defenseman has a chance at permanently breaking into the lineup.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich doesn’t have much of a NHL resume yet, but I can see Perunovich breaking into the Blues’ starting lineup during the 2022-23 NHL season.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
I recently chatted with a friend of mine, who’s a general hockey fan, about Perunovich, St. Louis, and other hot topics in the NHL. When he asked me how Perunovich will fare this season, I told him that I thought he could emerge and break into the Blues’ lineup to be pared with veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Of course, I could be wrong because no one’s perfect, but a Bortuzzo-Perunovich defensive pairing will be interesting to say the least.
Perunovich, who turned 24 on August 18th, can build off his six points (six assists) and +2 rating in 19 regular season games and his four points (four assists) and -4 rating in seven postseason games — both stats from the 2021-22 NHL season. Perunovich’s likely set for his breakout season this coming year. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman that’s great at passing the puck — especially on the power play. He has a chance to score more points, but only if he gets more minutes on the ice.
While there’s no guarantee that Perunovich will break into the Blues’ lineup, I can see him putting in the work to stay on the roster. After all, he can be sent down to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds basically anytime.
Perunovich will become an RFA after 2022-23 so what his future holds in St. Louis remains up in the air while still being under lock. Hopefully it won’t be long before he’ll get the points and minutes he deserves. But, if he doesn’t, then it is what it is. Hockey is a business with a budget, like most other businesses, and there are twists and turns along the way.