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Young hopefuls could decorate the St. Louis Blues third pairing in 2024-25

The St. Louis Blues could have a potential-laden third pairing, at least for the early stages of 2024-25, and one that could see their minutes systematically increase.

By Todd Matthews

Apr 12, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Blues will likely roll with seasoned veterans getting first and second pairing minutes, but the third pairing could contain a lot of youth. Or at least that will be the case early until they show that they deserve more minutes and start cutting into the ice time of seasoned veterans. 

There are quite a few defensemen who could make up such a pairing and the sole extra - if not a three-man rotation at times. So, who will, or should, spend more time in the NHL and try to further fill the void Torey Krug will leave this season? 

Philip Broberg

Philip Broberg is and should be the popular choice in leading the young defensemen ready to take the next step into becoming full-time NHLers after the Blues signed him away from the Edmonton Oilers. No, nothing went Broberg’s way in Edmonton, but the lineup was also one of the best in hockey for a while, so it wasn’t the friendliest place for prospects. 

But Broberg’s numbers are encouraging when you look at the 46 games he played in Edmonton in 2022-23. His 88.4 on-ice save percentage at even strength wasn’t good, but Broberg eked out a plus-3 in the same situation, and he also tallied a 57.5 Corsi For Percentage. There’s some encouragement here, and he’ll have much more of an opportunity to grow in St. Louis. 

Scott Perunovich

With 54 games played last season and experience in Drew Bannister’s system, Scott Perunovich is getting the likely nod here as the sixth and final member of the third pairing. Since he also has more experience in the Lou than the incoming Philip Broberg, there is a chance he could even be the fifth guy. But at this point, Broberg has more potential, and it was something worth considering when devising these projections. 

Perunovich, if he can stay healthy, could be a surprise player on the Blues. He finished the year with 17 assists in 54 games, which isn’t a bad number for a player with a limited 15:16 of average total ice time. He also logged 53 blocks, 15 takeaways, and a plus-one, though his 48.2 Corsi For Percentage at even strength is concerning in a year in which 63.1 percent of his starts came in the offensive zone. 

Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Just because I have Pierre-Oliver Joseph listed in the seventh defenseman spot, it doesn’t mean he’ll be relegated to the press box often. Remember, he played in 127 regular season games over the past two years and made good use of his time while in Pittsburgh. So it wouldn’t surprise me if, should the above projection prove true in October, Joseph ended up taking a spot on the third pairing and became the guy over Scott Perunovich at some point. 

Joseph is solid when it comes to landing body checks, he can steal his fair share of pucks, and he’s even done his due diligence in getting pucks up the ice. He never played in front of the most consistent goaltenders, so there’s also that to consider and to now join a team that is getting younger, few others may have such an opportunity to shine in Gateway City.

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