LA Kings: Three young LHD to target on St. Louis Blues
By Ryan Sikes
Scott Perunovich
Perhaps the toughest to pry away from the Blues, Scott Perunovich has flourished into the top left-handed defensive prospect in St. Louis’ prospect pool. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, scoring 11 goals with 25 assists in 42 games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
For Team USA, Perunovich tallied a goal and two assists at the World Juniors while helping the US win the Bronze Medal. His offense has complemented his defense so well, which is exactly why St. Louis holds him in high regard. He was recently ranked as the 50th best prospect in hockey, according to The Hockey Writers.
Three reasons to trade up for a defenseman in NHL Draft. dark. Next
Perunovich scored six goals with 34 assists this past season for UMD, and he’s an excellent asset in transition. Fun fact is that he won back-to-back National Championships with Kings’ defenseman Mikey Anderson, so the two have some familiarity playing together. The 22-year-old Perunovich is under contract for another two years before becoming a restricted free agent.
Conclusion
The Kings may still prefer a veteran over an unproven, younger player. They also may prefer not to give up any draft capital and opt to sign an unrestricted free agent on a two or three-year deal. A guy like Brenden Dillon makes a lot of sense. There are several scenarios that could play out here, but acquiring one of the three guys above could accelerate the rebuild while presumably keeping them around for the long haul.