St. Louis Blues: Should Nikita Alexandrov receive the same extension as Scott Perunovich?
By David Crum
First, let's note that Nikita Alexandrov is a restricted-free agent. In simple terms, even if he garners attention from outside teams, the St. Louis Blues hold the upper hand and can regain his services.
Is Alexandrov a prized prospect? Drafted in the second-round of the 2019 draft, the German-Russian native played quite well in the QMJHL league.
He also had a good season in 2021-22 with the Springfield Thunderbirds and topped his success in 2022-23.
Springfield Thunderbirds:
His success has been limited in the NHL, but so has his ice time.
St. Louis Blues:
Considering his AHL performance, there is a strong case for offering him a contract extension.
Honestly, even his performance with the Blues in 2022-23 supports his value. He recorded 7 points in 28 games, only playing 9:48 on average.
He's 23 years old and knows Drew Bannister well, having played extensively under him in the AHL.
His 2022-23 stats are similar to Zack Bolduc's in 2023-24:
Zack Bolduc
25 games, 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points. But Bolduc played 2-3 minutes longer on average.
St. Louis Blues: We haven't fully discovered Alexandrov yet
Sure, if Dalibor Dvorsky is ready and earns a spot, the nod goes to him.
But if we see some offensive players depart, like Sammy Blais, Kasperi Kapanen, or another player in a trade, Alexandrov should be considered for the opening-day roster.
Of course, he needs to prove himself in training camp, but given his success in the AHL and familiarity with Drew Bannister, he may be a true underdog to whom we need to start paying more attention to.
Armstrong should lock him up like he did with Peronuvich.
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