Perron is best bet to light the lamp
THE WATERCOOLER
QUESTION: Which of the young Blues players do you feel will grow into the most prodigious goal-scorer for this team?
JEREMY RUTHERFORD
It seems like the answer to this question changes each month, and I suppose that’s to be expected. When Paul Kariya once said that Patrik Berglund would be a 100-point player in the NHL, I agreed with Kariya. That’s the player I saw, too, a guy who would have more assists than goals, but a guy who could score 5-on-5 and also use his one-timer to rack up power-play goals. But Berglund, stuck on two goals this season, has been invisible.
T.J. Oshie scored 14 goals in 59 games last season, including a dandy on Roberto Luongo, and so I felt that if he stayed healthy, he might be the best goal scorer of the young bunch. Oshie has played a good all-around game this season, but he has just two goals. He spent time on the defensive stopper unit and missed a week with an appendectomy, but when in an offensive role, Oshie hasn’t created many scoring opportunities for himself.
So my answer in November is David Perron, who leads the Blues with seven goals. It’s the safe answer after Tuesday’s hat-trick, but Perron simply makes things happen. He has an edge to his game. He creates space. He can stick-handle with anyone on the team. He’s got an underestimated shot. Granted, Perron has been playing on a good line lately, with Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes, but he deserves that assignment. If you had to pick between the three today, you might pick Oshie because of his constant presence on the ice, but if your team needs a goal-scorer, you have to take Perron.
JEFF GORDON
I’m in the tank for David Perron. I love the kid’s tenacity and he seems hungry to score. He has a nose for the puck and takes hits to make plays around the net. He has the skills to beat defensemen one-on-one to create his own opportunities. He is a good passer, too, and sometimes is too unselfish. He isn’t a big guy, but he isn’t easily knocked off the puck. He is a bit of a showman, too, which only adds to his potential.
TOM TIMMERMANN
Well, I don’t think any of them are going to be battling for the league lead anytime soon — make that ever — but if one of them is going to lead the Blues in goals for years to come, I think it will be Perron. You don’t pop up in the NHL and start scoring a ton of goals if you didnt’ score a ton of goals at lower levels. It’s hard to be a 50-goal scorer in the NHL if you scored 15 in a half season of juniors, unless you can say you were surrounded by lousy teammates. Perron had some good goal-scoring seasons as a junior, which probably gives him the best chance in the NHL.
DAN O’NEILL
I’m not sure any of them are going to become prodigious goal scorers. Right now, I would settle for “occasional” goal scorer, the way this team is going.
ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
All these players play with a high level of skill. They can all skate and play with the puck. Forecasting the future is hard, but in this case there’s one obvious answer. David Perron is playing with a ton of confidence and, more importantly, he’s getting an opportunity to play with some pretty good players in Boyes and McDonald. He has an underrated shot but also understands how to play with talented players and we’re starting to see him elevate his game. Perron is also two years younger than Oshie, who in my opinion will develop into the best all-around player of the group. Both Oshie and Berglund are struggling with confidence right now but should eventually find their game. We haven’t seen enough from guys like Aaron Palushaj or Lars Eller at the NHL level to draw any real analysis.
Perron brings a level of enthusiasm and passion to the rink unmatched by the other players. This kid wants to be a star and spends more time away from the rink and in the summer developing his craft.
