On June 18, the St. Louis Blues extended left-handed defenseman Scott Perunovich to a one-year contract worth $1.15 million. He scored 17 points—all assists—in 54 games in 2023-24.
The 25-year-old served as a depth defenseman for St. Louis in his first full season in the NHL. In 2022-23, he played 19 games with the Blues but spent more time (22 games) in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Blues Re-Up on Defensive Depth
Perunovich, while not an everyday player, is still a good one for a low-end third-pairing defender at this stage with the promise to be a better player down the line. His edge work is a massive strength of his and has the offensive upside to be effective with greater usage.
Perunovich was stuck with an average ice time of 15:16, so he didn’t quite get the chance to elevate his play. He graded out somewhat poor defensively, but so did the rest of his team. Comparatively, his 2.89 expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) and 44.9 expected goals percentage (xGF%) ranked fourth and sixth among the 10 defensemen that played for St. Louis in 2023-24.
Fit with St. Louis
Perunovich might be able to work his way up the lineup in 2024-25 if he proves that he is worthy. Left-handed defenders like Torey Krug and Nick Leddy, who played a lot more than him, are two veterans who both struggled and don’t really have much more to provide.
Related: THW’s 2024 Free Agency Tracker
Perunovich has some upside, and the Blues recognized that toward the end of the season. In the month of April, he averaged 21:03 of ice time—this is second-pairing usage. Perhaps he could see more ice time like that in the future if he earns it.
The Blues have just under $15 million to spend this offseason with almost all of their major roster intact. As the 2024 NHL Draft and free agency approach, perhaps they might be pretty active. Their longest postseason drought in history was three seasons from 2005-2008, and they’re already at two campaigns in a row at this current stage—they might be feeling the pressure.
