Scott Perunovich joins Islanders with encouragement from Nick Leddy, hopes of elevating his game
Scott Perunovich #48 of the St. Louis Blues takes the puck as Erik Haula #56 of the New Jersey Devils defends during the third period at Prudential Center on November 27, 2024 in Newark. Credit: Getty Images
Nick Leddy, who was recently named as a first-team defenseman for the Islanders’ quarter-century team, had 198 assists in 518 games during his seven seasons with the organization. Now with the Blues, he might be owed one more helper if Scott Perunovich does well on Long Island.
“He’s someone that I fell back on and was asking quite a few questions to right away,” Perunovich told Newsday on Tuesday before making his Islanders debut. “He’s a top-notch guy so I knew I was in good hands with him. He told me that everything is going to be pretty easy here. He said the guys are great.”
The injury-depleted Islanders, looking to extend their season-best four-game winning streak, concluded a seven-game homestand against the Avalanche at UBS Arena slightly more than 24 hours after Perunovich was acquired from the Blues for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026.
The Islanders lost defensemen Noah Dobson (lower body/long-term injured reserve) and Ryan Pulock (upper body/injured reserve) in each of their last two games and had already signed Tony DeAngelo out of the KHL on Friday.
“He’s a good puck mover,” coach Patrick Roy said of the 5-10, 175-pound Perunovich. “We feel like he’s going to help our power play. We’re excited to give him a chance to play for us.
“Like I said to Tony the other day before his first game and I said the same thing to Scott, ‘Go out there and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry too much about the structure.’ I know that St. Louis plays a different defensive zone coverage than we do but these guys know how to play man-on-man. At the end of the day, just go out there and play free and we’ll see how it goes.”
Perunovich, 26, from Hibbing, Minnesota, won the Hobey Baker Award in 2020 as the NCAA’s top player in his last season for Minnesota-Duluth. The Blues picked him in the second round in 2018 and he had two goals and four assists in 24 games for them this season and two goals and 27 assists in 97 career games.
He called the trade to the Islanders “a surprise” even though he suspected he could be moved.
“It was tough,” Perunovich said during a media scrum at his locker. “It’s a good team over there with a lot of friends. Definitely sad saying goodbye but you have to do what’s best for you.”
Later, he elaborated on his friendship with Leddy, who was born in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Leddy was an Islander from 2014-21.
“He’s one of the best guys in the game,” Perunovich said. “I truly mean that. I know that gets thrown around a lot. But he’s an unbelievably nice guy. He’d do anything for you. Even when I was probably being annoying to him, he’d never tell me. So I learned from him on the ice and off the ice. He’s a phenomenal skater, probably one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen. You can learn a lot from people like that. He’s a good leader.”
Still, Perunovich, who compiled 20 goals and 85 assists in 115 NCAA games, is hoping to elevate his game with this new opportunity.
“I’m hoping there’s a lot more,” Perunovich said. “I don’t think I really proved everything I had. Sometimes change is good and can kind of help you find that. I’ve just got to find my confidence and keep that and roll with it.”
Notes & quotes: Maxim Tsyplakov rejoined the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for his high hit on the Flyers’ Ryan Poehling and then being a healthy scratch for Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Hurricanes. “I miss hockey a little bit because I don’t play,” said the Russian rookie, who started Tuesday’s match on Kyle MacLean’s fourth line with Marc Gatcomb. “I think, for me, it’s a good time for a rest.” Tsyplakov added he believes he learned from his unwanted time off. “I looked at how the team played without me and how this looks from the outside. I know how we’re playing better." . . . Forwards Pierre Engvall and Matt Martin and defenseman Dennis Cholowski were the healthy scratches . . . Goalie Jakub Skarek backed up Ilya Sorokin with Marcus Hogberg (upper body/IR) sidelined.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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