Blues Sign Scott Perunovich To One-Year Extension
The Blues have gotten defenseman Scott Perunovich under contract for the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. His one-year extension carries a cap hit of $1.15MM.
Perunovich, 25, managed to stay mostly healthy this season for the first time in a while. He stayed on the NHL roster all season and made 54 appearances, his most since his junior days while recording 17 assists and a +1 rating. It was his second NHL season after logging 19 games of action in 2021-22 and spending all of his injury-plagued 2022-23 in the minors.
While the fact that Perunovich has no goals through 73 career NHL games may be eye-opening, he was once the top offensive defense prospect in the organization. And while 25 is a bit old to still bear the “prospect” title, that might still be the case. Perunovich has been electric during his assignments to the minors, putting up 42 points in only 39 games with AHL Springfield over the past three seasons.
Injuries have had just a catastrophic effect on his development. After winning the Hobey Baker Award during his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2019-20, a left shoulder injury cost him all of 2020-21. He started 2021-22 off healthy, but left wrist surgery ended his season halfway through. Yet another shoulder injury sustained in training camp in 2022 delayed his debut last season to late February.
That said, a $1.15MM cap hit quite literally carries zero risk for the Blues if he can’t hold onto an NHL spot next season for whatever reason. It’s the richest allowable cap hit that can be buried in the minors without penalty. But the diminutive yet dynamic left-shot defender should be in line for an everyday spot in the lineup next season after putting up solid playmaking numbers in his limited minutes.
The Hibbing, Minnesota native was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. He’ll carry that same designation again in 2025 when his new deal expires.
Blues Notes: Perunovich, Neighbours, Lindstein, Snuggerud
Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich played in his 74th career NHL game (including playoffs) on Saturday, a milestone that typically wouldn’t carry any significance. However, as Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out, Perunovich’s participation in that game means that he will be a restricted free agent this summer instead of a Group Six unrestricted free agent. Generally, the threshold for skaters is 80 but since the 2020-21 season was only 56 games, that number was reduced. Perunovich is still looking for his first career NHL tally but does have 15 assists in 48 games this season. With him retaining RFA status, St. Louis now has an additional two years of team control as Perunovich won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2025.
More from St. Louis:
- Winger Jake Neighbours is having a breakout season, notching 26 goals through 74 games, good for a share of the team lead with Pavel Buchnevich. He’s eligible to sign a contract extension this summer as he’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal in 2024-25. In a mailbag column, Jeremy Rutherford suggests (subscription link) that the 22-year-old might be inclined to try to wait out signing a new deal until after next season. If he feels that his performance this year is a sign of things to come, Neighbours would certainly have more leverage if he waits it out although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Blues take a run at trying to sign him when they’re eligible to in July.
- Earlier this month, the Blues signed 2023 first-round pick Theo Lindstein to an entry-level contract. In doing so, they gained the flexibility to assign the defenseman to their AHL affiliate for next season instead of returning him to Brynas in Sweden’s Allsvenskan level. However, as Rutherford points out in a separate mailbag (subscription link), the team has not yet made a determination on where to assign him for next season. Lindstein had 15 points in 49 games with Brynas and added eight more in seven World Junior appearances.
- With the University of Minnesota being eliminated by Boston University last night, Jimmy Snuggerud now needs to decide if he’ll return for his junior year or turn pro. Speaking with reporters postgame including The Rink Live’s Jess Myers (Twitter link), the 19-year-old indicated he had “no clue” about his next move just yet. Snuggerud was the 23rd pick back in 2022 and saw his numbers dip from 50 points to 34 this season although he still managed 21 goals in just 39 games while also picking up eight points in six World Junior contests.
Snapshots: Buchnevich, Bogosian, Rosen
The St. Louis Blues aren’t actively shopping winger Pavel Buchnevich but they are hearing out offers, shares team insider Jeremy Rutherford with The Athletic. Rutherford adds that any deal would likely start at a first-round draft pick and may even need two first-round picks to get done. That’s a steep price for an older veteran with just one year left on his contract but Buchnevich may earn it. He’s been one of St. Louis’ most productive players since joining them in 2021-22, totaling 186 points in 189 games with the club. That includes his 43 points in 53 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the Blues and puts Buchnevich on pace to break 65 points in his third season in a row.
Buchnevich became a pillar of the St. Louis offense quickly, scoring a career-high 76 points in 73 games during the 2021-22 season – a year that saw the Blues score their most goals in one season since 1981-82. He’s maintained that strength through the last two seasons, despite St. Louis’ scoring coming a bit slower, and even adapted to playing a top-line centerman role for parts of last season. His adaptability is evident, and that – as well as a chance to get a head start on contract negotiations – could be enough to convince playoff teams to pay a high premium at the Deadline.
Other notes from around the league:
- The St. Louis Blues are expected to send down Calle Rosen to make room to activate Scott Perunovich off of injured reserve, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich is returning from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last seven games. He will continue his search for his first goal of the season, and his NHL career, recording 12 assists through 31 games this season.
- Minnesota Wild Defenseman Zach Bogosian is likely to miss at least a week of action after exiting the team’s Wednesday night game with an upper-body injury, per team reporter Michael Russo. Bogosian appears to have suffered the injury after blocking a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, leaving the game after his shift. Bogosian has scored one goal and nine points in 44 games this season, serving a comfortable role in Minnesota’s top-four. His absence will likely lend way to Declan Chisholm or Jonathon Merrill gaining a larger role, though the Wild also have Alex Goligoski serving as a healthy scratch.
Snapshots: Perunovich, Fehervary, Dowd, Grant
St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister has named defenseman Scott Perunovich as a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday evening game against the New York Islanders, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich has been out since January 28th, nursing a lower-body injury that earned him a retroactive injured reserve placement earlier in the week. This season has marked Perunovich’s official rookie year in the NHL, although he did play in 19 games during the 2021-22 season. But persistent injury, including pre-season shoulder surgery, limited Perunovich to just 22 AHL games last season. He has 12 points, all assists, in 31 games this season. The scoring brings his career totals up to 18 points in 50 combined games, with Perunovich still searching for his first NHL goal.
Perunovich has undergone three different surgeries since the 2021-22 season. The constant rehab has kept him from fully finding his footing at the top level, though he’s flashed signs of strong potential. Perunovich won the NCCA’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award in the 2019-20 season, the league’s top honor. He earned the award after scoring four goals and 40 points in 34 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, serving in an all-purpose role for the Bulldogs that saw him play top-pair minutes, special teams, and forward at a few points in the season. Perunovich made his professional debut in the subsequent season and has since totaled 42 points across 39 AHL games, adding to his totals in the NHL. His return likely bumps Calle Rosen out of the lineup. Rosen has played in St. Louis’ last six games, recording just one point, taking over the role of sixth-man from Tyler Tucker.
The Blues will need to send one of Tucker or Rosen back to the minor leagues in order to activate Perunovich off of injured reserve. They could also send down extra forwards Sammy Blais or Nikita Alexandrov, if they prefer hanging on to extra defensive depth. That could be the case, as St. Louis is also down Justin Faulk, who was moved onto long-term injured reserve on Tuesday.
Other notes from around the league:
- Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the team’s February 17th game. He was previously announced as week-to-week with the injury and will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Fehervary has appeared in 47 games this season, scoring two goals and 12 points while averaging roughly 19 minutes of action a night.
- Fellow Washington Capital Nic Dowd is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip to Florida. His next opportunity to play will be Washington’s Monday matchup against the Ottawa Senators, per team reporter Bailey Johnson. Aliaksei Protas is expected to step into a center role in Dowd’s absence, with call-up Pierrick Dubé filling Protas’ role on the wing. Dubé, 23, will be making his NHL debut in Dowd’s absence. He has 24 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games this season.
- Veteran NHL forward Derek Grant has signed a one-year extension with the ZSC Lions of the National League, Switzerland’s top league. Grant, 33, is in his first season in Switzerland after not landing an NHL deal this summer. He has 13 goals and 30 points through his first 45 games in Switzerland. Grant spent the last 10 seasons in the NHL, playing with seven different organizations. He totaled 427 career games in that span, netting 57 goals and 132 points. His career-year came in 2021-22, when he scored a career-high 15 goals and 29 points in 71 games with the Anaheim Ducks.
St. Louis Blues Make Several Roster Moves
In a flurry of roster activity, the St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Zachary Bolduc from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, while also placing defenseman Justin Faulk on the team’s Long-Term Injured Reserve, with defenseman Scott Perunovich being placed on the injured reserve.
It will not change much in the short-term for the Blues’ roster, as they’ve been without Faulk for the last 10 games and Perunovich for the last seven. Factoring in the requirements to return from both the LTIR and IR, both players are eligible to be reinstated to the active roster whenever they are healthy enough to return.
The most exciting part of this transaction for St. Louis will be seeing the eventual debut of Bolduc. A first-round selection of the Blues back in the 2021 NHL Draft, Bolduc is in his first season within the Blues organization.
Although a member of Rimouski Oceanic during his draft year, Bolduc became a member of the Quebec Remparts as soon as the 2021-22 season under the tutelage of head coach Patrick Roy. Over 126 games in Quebec, Bolduc experienced a great deal of success, scoring 105 goals and 209 points over the regular season.
Outside of the regular season, Bolduc became a solid playoff performer as well, scoring 19 goals and 31 points over 30 postseason games for the Remparts, helping the team to a Memorial Cup championship in 2022-23. Now transitioning to professional hockey, Bolduc has not maintained the same degree of offensive production in his rookie season, managing only eight goals and 23 points over 48 games for Springfield this year.
Snapshots: Parise, Rielly, Faulk, Perunovich
As recently as this past offseason, veteran forward Zach Parise was undecided on his playing future, not knowing whether he would be with the New York Islanders, retire, or join a new organization entirely. Ultimately, the answer was uncovered several months later, as Parise decided to join the Colorado Avalanche by way of a one-year contract.
Now in his 19th season in the NHL, Parise has only been to the Stanley Cup Final once, coming back in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils before ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Kings. In joining the Avalanche, Parise joins one of the clear Stanley Cup contenders of the 2023-24 season and has confirmed that this will be his last attempt to win the coveted trophy.
In an article from Tom Gulitti of the NHL, Parise was quoted as saying, “Yeah, this is it. This is it”, meaning it will be Stanley Cup-or-bust for the 39-year-old veteran. As things currently stand, Colorado is well-positioned to make the playoffs, and MoneyPuck gives them the ninth-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup this year.
Other notes:
- Yesterday, the Department of Player Safety issued a five-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly due to cross-checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig. Now appealing the suspension, Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that Rielly will be offered an in-person appeal hearing in New York tomorrow. Because the suspension is not beyond five games, it will not require an independent arbitrator, meaning that Commissioner Gary Bettman will make the final decision to uphold the decision.
- In an update today regarding two injured defensemen for the St.Louis Blues, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reports Scott Perunovich has returned to the ice for practice and is skating quite well, while Justin Faulk has not yet returned to the ice. Both players have been out since late January, with Faulk being out since January 23rd, and Perunovich being out since January 28th. In the meantime, the Blues will continue to rely on Matthew Kessel and Calle Rosen to fill in for the lost minutes.
Injury Notes: Kane, Perunovich, Kapanen
Heading into the team’s game tomorrow night against the Ottawa Senators, there was some hope from the Detroit Red Wings that forward Patrick Kane could be healthy enough to return, after missing the team’s last six games with a lower-body injury. Nevertheless, Ansar Khan of MLive reports that Kane will not be in the lineup tomorrow night for Detroit, and the team will allow him to rest and recover over the upcoming All-Star break.
With Kane making a strong comeback after offseason hip resurfacing surgery, the saving grace to this injury is that all signs are pointing to it being unrelated to his hip. However, with Kane making such an unexpectedly impressive return from resurfacing surgery, having to deal with a separate issue could likely lead to some frustration for the veteran forward.
Even though he has become one of the better forwards in the lineup, the Red Wings have faired well in his absence, producing a 4-2-0 record and picking up important victories against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Once he does return after the All-Star break, Kane will look to improve on his 16-point total and reinforce Detroit’s current momentum.
Other injury notes:
- Suffering a lower-body injury in the team’s most recent game against the Los Angeles Kings, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reports that St.Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich was seen wearing a boot on his left foot this morning, and would be out through the All-Star break. Thankfully, the injury does not sound as serious as expected, meaning that Perunovich should be able to return shortly thereafter. On the season, Perunovich has suited up in 31 games for the Blues, tallying 12 assists while averaging about 14 and a half minutes a night.
- Sticking in St.Louis, although it has already been confirmed that forward Kasperi Kapanen will be out through the All-Star break, Lou Korac reports that he was back at practice this morning for the team. Residing on the team’s injured reserve for the last two weeks, Kapanen was on a much slower pace compared to last season before the injury, only scoring four goals and 13 points through 42 games.
Afternoon Snapshots: Perunovich, Binnington, Skinner, Three Stars
St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich underwent an MRI on Monday for the lower-body injury he suffered in St. Louis’ Sunday night win over the Los Angeles Kings. Team reporter Lou Korac shares that Perunovich will be out on Tuesday but that the team is hoping the All-Star Break will be enough time for Perunovich to recover.
Perunovich has appeared in 31 games this season, netting 12 assists, six penalty minutes, and -4. The 25-year-old also played in 19 games and recorded six assists in the 2020-21 season, though he’s still searching for the first goal of his career. The oft-injured defender missed the majority of last season with a fractured shoulder that required surgery in October. His only action was 22 AHL games, where he scored two goals and 20 points.
The Blues have recalled Tyler Tucker from his conditioning stint in the AHL to replace Perunovich. Tucker appeared in six games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, recording no points, six penalty minutes, and a +2. He’s also managed two points and 22 penalty minutes in 15 NHL games this season
Other notes from around the league:
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the recent 32 Thoughts Podcast that Jordan Binnington would be a top starting goaltender option for Team Canada, sharing, “Someone was saying to me the other day, if Canada was playing Game 1 of the World Cup right now… Jordan Binnington would be in the conversation to be your starter.” Friedman also mentioned Stuart Skinner as a second option. Binnington and Skinner have both gone through ups and downs throughout their careers but boast winning pedigrees, with Skinner winning the WHL championship in 2018 and Binnington winning the OHL championship in 2011 and Stanley Cup in 2019. Both were also runners-up for the Calder Trophy in their rookie seasons. They have each played in 34 games this season, with Skinner managing 23 wins a .910 save percentage while Binnington has 17 wins and a .907 save percentage.
- The NHL has announced their ‘Three Stars of the Week’ for the last full week of January. Matthew Tkachuk wins Third Star with eight points, split evenly, in four games; Connor McDavid gets the Second Star by matching Tkachuk’s stat line in just three games; and Nikita Kucherov takes the First Star with four goals and nine points in just three games. The hot week brought Kucherov’s scoring totals up to a league-leading – and frankly dazzling – 85 points in 49 games.
Snapshots: Lightning, Perunovich, Tucker, Myers, Slaggert
Tampa Bay’s defensive depth has been tested this season with several players having extended stints out of the lineup. Accordingly, it appears GM Julien BriseBois would like to add some insurance on that end as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the Lightning have spoken with several teams in both conferences and that they’d like to add a blueliner over the next six weeks before the trade deadline. Having said that, cap space is going to be at a premium once Mikhail Sergachev is activated off LTIR which should come soon after the All-Star break so making the finances work could be tricky. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay only has one pick in the first four rounds of the draft this year (a third-rounder) which limits what they might be able to move out on the trade front if they find a player they like and can afford.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Blues announced that defenseman Scott Perunovich suffered a lower-body injury during today’s overtime victory over Los Angeles. The 25-year-old has played in a career-best 31 games this season, notching a dozen assists including two today. There’s no word yet on how much time, if any, Perunovich will miss.
- Still with the Blues, they’ve recalled blueliner Tyler Tucker from his conditioning assignment, relays NHL.com’s Lou Korac (Twitter link). The 23-year-old played in six games with AHL Springfield while in the minors. Tucker, who is waiver-eligible, has been limited to just 15 games with St. Louis this season, collecting two points while averaging 12:31 per game.
- The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers $5K for an elbow on Columbus center Sean Kuraly on Saturday. The incident occurred in the third period and the initial major penalty on the play was given to Ian Cole before being changed to Myers after review. The fine amount is the maximum allowable under the CBA.
- Last summer, Blackhawks prospect Landon Slaggert declined an offer to turn pro, raising some concerns that he could opt for free agency this coming summer. However, the forward told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he intends to sign with Chicago once his season with Notre Dame comes to an end. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick in 2020 and is faring much better offensively this season with 25 points in 26 games after putting up just 13 in 35 appearances in 2022-23.
Snapshots: Eberle, Pesce, Perunovich
The Seattle Kraken have shared that Jordan Eberle is doing alright after suffering a deep cut at the team’s Wednesday practice. He won’t play in the Kraken’s Thursday matchup against the Colorado Avalanche but is otherwise considered day-to-day by the team. The Kraken recalled Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton to the NHL lineup in response to Eberle’s injury.
Eberle has appeared in 13 games with the Kraken this season, netting four points, nine penalty minutes, and a -8. He’s appeared in roles throughout the Kraken lineup through the early season, as head coach Dave Hakstol has tried to help Eberle get it going. The 33-year-old winger scored 20 goals and 63 points in 82 games last season, ranking third on the team in scoring and fourth in goal-scoring. It also tied for Eberle’s second-highest scoring season and marked his first time scoring 60 or more points since 2014-15, when he was still with the Edmonton Oilers.
The Kraken received a waiver to the NHL/CHL transfer agreement that would have required Wright to be assigned to the OHL if he didn’t make the Kraken roster out of training camp. As a result, he’s started the season with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, where he’s scored four goals and six points in seven games. He’s tied for the Firebirds lead in goals. Wright will likely draw into the lineup if Eberle can’t go. He appeared in eight games last season, scoring two points.
Other notes from around the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced that Brett Pesce will join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip and is a game-time decision for their Friday night game against the Florida Panthers. Pesce has played in five games this season, netting two points and four penalty minutes.
- Scott Perunovich will slot back into the Blues lineup after serving as a healthy scratch. He’s only played in two of the Blues’ 11 games this season, going without a point, penalty, or any change in his +/-. Perunovich has fought through a series of injuries over the last few seasons, only playing in 69 games since the end of the 2019-20 season. 28 of those games were in the NHL, where Perunovich has totaled 10 points between the regular season and playoffs.