Looking for reinforcements on the eve of the trade deadline, Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings are looking to some familiar faces on a division rivals roster. After letting David Perron walk in free agency two years ago, the Red Wings have traded a conditional fourth round pick to the Ottawa Senators to re-acquire the veteran forward on an expiring deal.
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Perron joined the Red Wings originally in 2022, playing for two seasons in the winged wheel. The 37 year old forward was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues, winning the Stanley Cup with the team on their improbable 2019 run. The veteran Perron joined a rebuilding Detroit squad in need of mentors and a second line center, and Perron provided that in 158 games with the Red Wings with 103 points across his two years here.
Not a picture perfect reunion
Perron left the Red Wings in free agency, joining the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, where he has played primarily on the second line wing most recently. In 49 games this season, Perron has 25 points, with 10 goals and 15 assists, which would tie him for seventh with James van Riemsdyk in the current Red Wings forward group. Perron is currently on injured reserve after suffering a sports hernia on January 20th earlier this year.
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The move for Perron gets the Red Wings a middle six forward with positional flexibility once he returns to potentially even play on the top line wings if injuries mount for the Detroit squad. Perron is also an incredible locker-room presence and slots in nicely as a player who can help mentor some of the team’s young forwards as they gear up for a playoff run and is unlikely to disrupt the team’s chemistry.
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The fourth round pick sent to Ottawa has the potential to move up depending on if Perron plays for the Red Wings in the regular season, and again if the Red Wings get to the second round of the playoffs.
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While the move helps to patch some of the holes in the Red Wings offense, the team still needs to add on the blueline to make an impact on their playoff chances.