Now that Perunovich is on NHL roster, defenseman will have to earn spot

In keeping defensemen Scott Perunovich and Tyler Tucker and forward Nikita Alexandrov over veteran forwards Nathan Walker and Mackenzie MacEachern and defenseman Calle Rosen, their on-ice play had to dictate whether the team was comfortable keeping them on the 23-man roster more so than anything. But now that each of Perunovich, Tucker and Alexandrov would have needed to clear waivers was equally as important, well the Blues just didn't feel comfortable in exposing three of their younger players they drafted and have groomed to get to this point.

Jake Neighbours, a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, was the only waiver-eligible player the Blues could have sent down, but he is further along than the others.

"When you're transitioning into something different, you want to be true," Armstrong said. "We have seven first-round picks since 2020. We have young players. We want to build around that young core group.

"I understand that all these first-round picks, all these players aren't going to have success in the NHL. That's just what the actuary tables tell you. You want to give them the opportunity to succeed in your organization and I believe that, and I think we're trying to be honest with the players that aren't here right now, that we have to take a look at these guys, we have to see what they can do. One of those three players [Tucker] is in the lineup tomorrow night are waiting their turn and when they get there, they're going to have to prove that A) they're regular NHL players and then where they take it from there, that's up to them."

Alexandrov, a second-round pick in 2019, played in 28 games last season to get his feet wet in the league, and the Blues gave him every opportunity to win the 13th forward job, so that's no surprise, and with Tucker, a seventh-round pick in 2018 who also played 26 games last season to get seasoned, there's some familiarity there.

But with Perunovich, the 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner and second-round pick in 2018, right now he's on the squad but not immersed in the top six -- yet.

Injuries have plagued the 24-year-old's career after playing in 19 regular-season games and seven Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2021-22.

"Obviously having a healthy camp and getting through it. Right now, he's not in our group of six, but he's on our team, he's in our group," Armstrong said of Perunovich. "Given the opportunity, he's an offensive player. He has to help on the offensive side of the puck, special teams but also he has to be competent in his own end, and then that's what we're really looking for is the ability get back, get the puck quickly, transition the puck out of our zone and be a good offensive player when he gets the opportunity. Right now, we're just looking for him to get stable, get comfortable again in the group. It's been an up and down few years for him and I think stability is important."

The Blues have hinted a plethora of times Perunovich needs to play games, and not only did he play in 26 games in all in 2021-22 at the NHL level, but he also got in 17 with Springfield of the American Hockey League, and after fracturing his left clavicle in the preseason last year, he played 22 more regular-season and two more Calder Cup Playoff games with the Thunderbirds.

But when the puck drops in Dallas Thursday, Perunovich will have to work his way into the top six.

"Well, no one's played a game yet. We'll see how [Thursday] goes and then we'll go from there," Armstrong said. "We believe that his game is evolving. I think that the way you're at his experience level, not maybe age, but just injury due to games played, he has to play games to understand what's in front of him and to get better. But we're not going to force-feed that right now. Craig [Berube's] got his lineup set and we're going to go with that group. When he gets the opportunity, he has to seize it. That's the competition and that's the job responsibility of every player is to seize the opportunity when given to him.

"On his defensive game, I would say we've seen improvement. He's obviously going to have to defend with his stick and quite honestly his feet and his brain. Physically, he's not a big man. I don't think I'm telling any stories out of school there, so he's going to have to really use his quickness to get back to pucks, he's going to have to be the first guy back and he's also going to have to move those pucks quickly and then he's going to have to defend, tying up sticks and getting good puck position. But I think a lot of his success will come from transition."