GM Doug Armstrong announces troubling news to Blues fanbase

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has announced that defenseman Scott Perunovich will be out of the team's lineup for at least 6 months as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

From the Blues' official website:

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that defenseman Scott Perunovich will undergo surgery to repair a fractured left shoulder on Thursday.

The injury, suffered in the Blues' 4-1 preseason win in Chicago on Sept. 27, is unrelated to the torn left labrum that kept Perunovich sidelined for the 2020-21 season. He will be re-evaluated in six months.

The 24 year old Perunovich established himself as a regular everyday NHLer late last season with a stellar six points in 19 games. He looked like such a natural fit on the blueline alongside the likes of Torey Krug, Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko, that he was expected to be a member of the team's top four defense corps this upcoming season. Needless to say, this is a big blow to both Perunovich and the Blues. Many had him tabbed as the next in line after Parayko to break out and establish himself as a star player this upcoming season. As it is, he'll have less than half a season and will have to wait until he's at least 25 years old to put together his first pro season. Talk about a late bloomer!

As for the Blues, like I said this is a tough blow. The team has minimal depth on the back end and they have some uncertainty up front. Yes, young players like Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou just committed long-term, but star forwards Ryan O'Reilly, the team's captain, and Vladimir Tarasenko are both unrestricted free agents beyond this campaign. Remember what happened last time a Blues captain hit free agency? Need I remind you?

If the Blues lose O'Reilly and/or Tarasenko in the same way that they lost former captain Alex Pietrangelo, there's going to be Hell to pay in St. Louis. The Blues, maybe more than any other team in the Western Conference, are truly at a turning point in their competitive cycle and it's going to be fascinating to see how it all plays out.