2 St. Louis Blues Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the St. Louis Blues this season.

Hugh McGing

Born in Chicago, the 23-year old McGing was a 5th-round pick by the Blues back in 2018. He took the college route before signing his ELC, playing for Western Michigan University and donning the captain's "C" for the team in his final year. He bounced over to the Utica Comets last season for his first games as a pro, scoring 3 goals and 4 points in 23 games. He's really taken off this season, already doubling his production from last year in his first 13 games on the Springfield Thunderbirds, currently sitting at 2 goals and 8 points. He is 7th on the team in scoring as of this writing but is the youngest player in the top 8 outside of number 1. It's not just his point production that has improved this year though, his 2-way play has taken a step forward and he's showing the potential to become a middle-6 centreman that can play heavy shutdown minutes while simultaneously providing some offence. That's a great result for a 5th-round selection, and McGing is just one injury away from seeing his first NHL games.

🚨 It's Huuuuugh#hUghSA (Hugh McGing) puts @WMUHockey in front on the breakaway. #NCHCHockey #WeWillReign

Watch on #NCHCtv pic.twitter.com/CI3I06V3HP

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) January 13, 2018

Scott Perunovich

Selected the same year as McGing but coming out of the 2nd round, Perunovich is a bit of a cop-out here because he was actually called up a couple days ago. However, his play in the AHL more than warrants some closer examination. As a left-shot defenceman, Perunovich currently leads the Thunderbirds in scoring by a wide margin with 2 goals and 20 points in 12 games, 8 points ahead of veteran Matthew Peca in second place. That's not just good for the top scorer on the Thunderbirds but has him tied for the top scorer in the AHL. Perunovich is considered a complete player, one of those rare defencemen that can control the pace of play while also putting up points at the offensive blueline. His evolution from an offensive DMan to a potential number 1 option earned him the Hobey Baker Award in 2020 as the best player in the NCAA. Given his call-up coincides with a few players (Dakota Joshua, Calle Rosen, and Joel Hofer) being sent back to the AHL, it suggests two things for the Blues: one, they're getting healthier as their run of players in Covid protocol seems to be coming to an end, and two, that Perunovich has a good chance of sticking with the team going forward.

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