St. Louis Blues sign Scott Perunovich to a one-year, $775,000 contract

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Scott Perunovich to a one-year contract with a $775,000 cap hit.

Perunovich was on a one-year contract with a $750,000 cap hit this season, and in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent. His qualifying offer was $787,500, so he signs for $12.5 thousand less than that, but still a $25 thousand raise from his previous deal. His deal is a one-way contract, so he will be guaranteed that money regardless of if he plays in the NHL or the AHL.

Perunovich missed six months to start the season with a shoulder injury, and as a result did not get into any NHL games this season, but he did play 22 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL, where he had 2 goals, 18 assists, and 20 points. He has six assists in 19 career NHL games, all coming in the 2021-22 season.

Perunovich was a second round pick for the Blues in 2018, and has spent his career so far in the organization. He played two seasons of college with the University of Minnesota-Duluth after he was drafted, and then made his pro debut splitting time between the NHL and AHL in 2021-22.

Perunovich is the second signing of the offseason for the Blues, as they also extended center Adam Gaudette on Wednesday to a similar one-year, $775,000. They have no significant free agents of note going into this offseason, with just Thomas Greiss, Josh Leivo, and Tyler Pitlick as unrestricted free agents, and Alexey Toropchenko and Logan Brown as restricted free agents.

The Blues finished the season with a 37-38-7 record, good for sixth in the Central Division, and were 14 points out of a playoff spot. They enter the 2023 NHL Draft with nine draft picks, including three first overall picks at #10, #25, and #29.