LGB
Registered User
- Feb 4, 2019
- 2,422
- 2,620
That's not what the chart says.
Anyway I think Perunovich is talented and needs to get consistent ice time this year. It's a make or break year for him and I think he'll run with it.
2021-2022 S Blues Multi-Purpose Thread Part 3
- Thread starter simon IC
- Start date
-
Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
- Status
Anyway I think Perunovich is talented and needs to get consistent ice time this year. It's a make or break year for him and I think he'll run with it.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
I'm looking forward to seeing what a Mikkola-Perunovich pairing would look like for 9-13 mins a game. One guy can PK on the 2nd unit, the other quy can QB the PP2. Scandella and Mikkola can rotate on the left along with Peru & Bortz on the right.
Unless a guy like Dahlin or Heiskanen demands a trade, Armstrong is going to have to make due with what he's got and hope that guys can play to their potential. It would be nice if a guy like Perunovich could play beyond his (perceived) potential, because then you don't need to acquire anyone. But the defense, top-to-bottom is nothing to scoff at. Would we all like a little more size and muscle on all of the pairings? Sure. But...
Krug-Faulk
Leddy-Parayko
Mikkola/Scandella-Bortz/Perunovich
...that's not an easy night for any club, especially when each pair is capable of turning the play back up ice very quickly and efficiently. The problem will be getting the puck in our own end and not just letting teams set up shop or crash the nets; but if the sticks are in the right place, the lanes are clogged, the gap-closure is solid and puck-battles are won, they're going to have teams on their heels. I don't think this defense is bad at all...it's clearly missing an all-situations #1D, but it's a capable group when combined with competent goaltending and dangerous/dynamic forwards is enough to contend for a Cup.
I don't know that you can count on the defense holding up for a four-round playoff series. It's been two years in a row where it collapsed under the weight of the pressure, but health aside, if the effort is there the talent should make them the favorite on any given night, against any club in the league.
Falco Lombardi
Registered User
For zone exits? Yes I do.
It also happens to be what Nick Leddy is supposed to excel at and again, yes I think Perunovich is better, and even if he’s not quite, I think he’s a better value at 950k and whatever he makes going forward than Nick Leddy will be making 4 million for the next four years during his age 31-35 seasons
I think the most likely outcome for Peruonvich would be he ends up in a role similar to what Dunn had. ~15min EV TOI and ~2min PP TOI per game.
Looking forward to seeing him utilized with a regular partner, he's played 26 NHL games RS+PS, Blues used 7D for nearly 2/3 of those games.
Looking forward to seeing him utilized with a regular partner, he's played 26 NHL games RS+PS, Blues used 7D for nearly 2/3 of those games.
Last edited:
STL fan in MN
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2007
- 7,765
- 5,417
Decent comparison but I find Perunovich’s offensive instincts to be superior to Dunn. But Dunn is a bit undersized but still 2-3 inches taller than Perunovich.
Perunovich is such an intriguing prospect. Tons of offensive and transitional ability. How much he’ll be able to actually use those skills will largely depend upon how well he can defend and find ways to negate his size disadvantage. I’m really rooting for the kid so hopefully he can take a step or two forward in his development this season and stay healthy.
Agreed. Biggest issue has been health. I think he can defend well enough to play given his superior skill.
Brian39
Registered User
- Apr 24, 2014
- 7,782
- 14,843
The bottom pair is really intriguing. I want to see Perunovich seize an opportunity and become a regular in the lineup, but the construction of the top 4 makes it difficult. Scandella was our most frequent penalty killer last year by TOI per game and our 3rd most frequent PK guy by total TOI. Bortz was our 2nd most frequent penalty killer both by total TOI and TOI per game. Parayko also did (and will continue to do) a lot of heavy lifting on the PK and then Faulk rounded out the top 2 units.
I think Scandella will be gone by the end of camp, but Bortz will for sure be in the organization and I'm not sold that the coaching staff will suddenly view him as a consistent healthy scratch. The PK was really good last year (5th best in the NHL) and I'm not sure that the coaches will be eager to consistently run out a group that is missing two of the top 3 contributing D men. Especially since Krug and Leddy aren't known as reliable PK guys. If you replace Bortz with Perunovich, you're suddenly looking at Parayko, Faulk, Mikkola, and Leddy as your top 4 PK guys. That is a large downgrade on the PK and you are in big trouble every time Parayko, Faulk, or Mikkola take a penalty.
Assuming Scandella is off the roster at some point, I think Perunovich is still the 7th D man unless/until he either takes the next step (or two) defensively or takes another step offensively at 5 on 5. Without tangible improvement this offseason (which is absolutely possible), I think he will be spot starting and waiting for an injury in the 6 man group to get an extended opportunity. That injury will happen. Teams don't make it through 82 games without dealing with several non-trivial D injuries.
I still think there is a decent chance that he starts the year in the AHL or is shuttled back and forth for a few months.
Louie the Blue
Because it's a trap
- Jul 27, 2010
- 4,863
- 3,201
I don't think that's really going to be a issue for sending him down. Just means he's getting paid his full salary in the NHL or AHL
Stupendous Yappi
Idiot Control Now!
I think the one-way deal makes it MORE likely the team expect to have him bouncing back and forth. He is rewarded by a guaranteed salary and hopefully not discouraged as he eases into the regular lineup interspersed with AHL stints.
STL fan in MN
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2007
- 7,765
- 5,417
Right. He’s the only d-man with a one-way contract that’s currently still waiver exempt.
I fully expect Perunovich to show he belongs in the NHL but I think he could still find his way in the AHL because of the Cap. If they can’t find a taker for Scandella, some maneuvering will be needed and the easiest move is to simply send Perunovich to the AHL because they can without risk of losing him.
I hope that’s not what happens and they can find a way to jettison Scandella but it’s more than possible that’s how it ends up playing out unfortunately.
My thoughts are, he just had a major surgery and was rushed back to play in the Playoffs. He could definitely use subs AHL time to fully get back in the swing of things and play big minutes.
Brian39
Registered User
- Apr 24, 2014
- 7,782
- 14,843
So are the 7 D men who are absolutely currently ahead of him on the depth chart. They all would make more money in the AHL and 6 of them would cause the team to have dead cap on the books if they were in the AHL. All 7 require waivers. Santini and Rosen are both going to make $325k+ to play in the minors this year and both require waivers. MacMac was paid $900k to play in the AHL on a 1 way deal basically all year last year.
All of Kostin, Leivo, Brown, Torpo, Frk, and Walker require waivers. Leivo, Brown and Kostin are on 1 way deals. Frk makes $500k in the AHL. Walker will make $350k no matter what next year and Torpo only makes $100k in the AHL. They won't all be in the NHL and I don't think Torpo is the odd man out just due to his AHL salary. Keeping Perunovich on the NHL roster probably means another one of these guys goes to the AHL and makes good money down there.
Perunovich doesn't have to go through waivers to get down to the AHL and he is the only one of the 10 D man in our organization who have NHL experience that doesn't have to go through waivers. The organization has repeatedly proven that they will pay a few guys NHL money to play in the AHL if that is what is best for the team. I don't think paying Perunovich $750k in the AHL instead of paying a guy like Walker $350k to be down there is going to factor into Army's roster construction. Especially if we're talking about shuttling him up and down or only keeping him there for a couple months while we work on moving a guy to make room.
Last edited:
If Army can't get an asset for Scandella, I fully expect him to be put on waivers and offered to the entire league for just the claims fee. It would suck to see him lost for nothing but payroll flexibility; but it's probably more important to have that flexibility than it is, say, a 4th round pick. I think Army will be hard-pressed to get back assets even close to what he paid for Scandella (2nd & 4th picks), but that's a sunk cost and the 2+ years he got out of Marco were more valuable than a 'typical' 2nd and 4th rounder.
STL fan in MN
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2007
- 7,765
- 5,417
With so many teams tight up against the Cap or even over it due to the flat Cap, Scandella’s contract becomes that much harder to take on. I’d say he pretty easily has negative value so I’d think the Blues would be lucky if a team would take him from waivers.
More than likely, I’d expect the Blues to have to offer a 3rd rd pick (or perhaps even something more than that) as a sweetener along with Scandella for absolutely nothing in return to get a team to take on the final 2 years of his contract. He’s not a horrific player but is making a lot more than most teams can afford to pay a 3rd pairing caliber d-man in the flat Cap era.
Stupendous Yappi
Idiot Control Now!
I think that's probably true TODAY. If he waits until training camp, there will be a team that loses a starting defender to a long-term injury. He may find a taker at that time.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
Dumping one of your top PKers on a top PK unit (and by far the best in the Central) who is slightly overpaid but one of your 6 best defenders and giving up a Binnington, Parayko, MacEachern, Walman, Ellis, Loof, Petersen, Robertsson, Buchinger or Kaskimaki just to do so would be the opposite of "Armstrong Magic"
STL fan in MN
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2007
- 7,765
- 5,417
This is true. The market could certainly change during training camp due to injuries or poor player performance necessitating a team to look for an outside solution.
STL fan in MN
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2007
- 7,765
- 5,417
It’s a fair point but what would be your recommendation to the current cap crunch and having 8 NHL d-men?
BlueMed
Registered User
- Jul 18, 2019
- 3,192
- 3,931
Nick Leddy is an established player, and a good one I will add. Perunovich is a power play specialist at best with a very raw defensive game. We quite frankly don't need Perunovich's skill set since we already have Krug, but we do very much need Nick Leddy's skating ability, calming presence, and veteran experience. You're allowed to have your own opinions, but I cannot see how you possibly watched any post-TDL regular season games or playoff games and hold the opinions you have about him.
Falco Lombardi
Registered User
Honestly I think we were so god awful before Leddy that any improvement looked bigger than it was.
It’s a two fold thing. I don’t think Leddy is worth the money and term (especially the term.) I’m also not a fan of staying with the status quo (unless of course you’re where you want to be obviously)
Last year the Blues were not good enough and there’s some evidence that while the team was good, they were a bit fortunate. Hey that’s how you get a whopping 9 20 goal scorers. There’s some puck luck involved. Ville Husso also had a career year that I doubt he ever repeats and covered a lot of flaws.
Now we’re very likely to be worse with Perron gone and we essentially have the same cap hit so what’s the point of bringing back Leddy?
We KNOW this d core, as currently constructed, isn’t good enough (unless you disagree with that and then that’s a separate conversation)
So if it’s not good enough, why pay Leddy to come back and why on earth did he get that amount of term? To finish 3rd instead of 4th in the Central?
If your response is “well you can’t be Cup or bust every year”, the message was the window is now. If that’s true, then in how the hell have we not made upgrades? If that’s false, then why are we giving a 31 year old defenseman that didn’t make the difference a year ago a four year contract when we already have 4 LHD on one way contracts and one terrible one we currently haven’t been able to get through?
You cannot pay Leddy and Scandella what we’re paying them and expect good results.
If you let Leddy walk the defense is worse. So if you think it's not good enough now, how would that help? Who would you have brought in that was available? Gubrandson? Chiarot?
And I would also add that you don't know it's not good enough. In the 4 games we lost to the Avs, Krug didn't play. Scandella played less than 14 minutes total in those games. They were our #3 and #5 D. With them, maybe it's a different story. And that's not even talking about goaltending.
Falco Lombardi
Registered User
I don’t think anyone was available to make it good enough. If that’s the case, then I go with internal options and don’t hamstring myself with a bad contract since it’s not going to be good enough anyways
I think that’s awfully optimistic but I’m admittedly not a fan of basically any of the d man we have on the left side so……
- Status
