Prospect Info: 2019 - 2020 Top 20 Blues Prospect List - #6

[Blueston]

While I am not ready to dismiss Perunovich just yet, I think Perry makes some good points, especially about when he was drafted. IIRC, we took him in the 2nd round because we didn't have a 3rd, and we thought he wouldn't last until the 4th. I was extremely unhappy with that decision, not because of anything against Perunovich, bur because of the other options that were still on the board. Apparently our scouts, (especially Big Walt), liked him so much they jumped the gun on him. He could have been selected later, or even, ( and this is news to me), signed as a free agent. It is water under the bridge now, but I think messed up there.

There is a window after draft for undrafted players to be signed as free agents. So the period in which he could have been signed was prior to his breakout year at NCAA. And if he had been signed he couldn't play college hockey. As to how long he would have available if we didn't take him in 2nd, no way to know. Speculation was late 2nd or 3rd. But our guys really liked him and hopefully they were right about him.

He wasn't the top guy on my list at the time but I am not a scout. Perhaps we shoulda taken Tychonick or Addison or Emberson as I would have preferred. But that aside, this vote is how we think he compares as prospect to guys like Mikkola or Poganski or other Blues prospects. It's entirely possible we shoulda picked someone else but he is still our 4th best prospect and has a nice career.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Why do people think the Blues could have obtained Perunovich later? There is nothing to suggest that was an inevitability. Perunovich was getting a lot of attention leading up to the draft after he made team USA for the WJC. Having him in the 70s implies he’s an early third rounder. There is very little to suggest he would have been available after the Blues 2nd pick.