Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva offers a list of the “best under-the-radar” free agent signings thus far, and one Red Wings signing makes his list:
DAVID PERRON, Detroit Red Wings
Signed For: 2 years x $4.75 millionAfter a sterling third stint with the St. Louis Blues, veteran winger David Perron opted to move on from the club with whom he found Stanley Cup glory and ink a two-year deal with Steve Yzerman’s on-the-rise Detroit Red Wings. It was a tidy bit of business for Yzerman, who also beefed up his forward corps with the additions of Andrew Copp and Dominik Kubalik. The trio joins an offensive group that already seemed to be trending upwards on the back of young stars Lucas Raymond and Filip Zadina (not to mention Mo Seider on the blue line), and bolstered by the presence of more established talents like Dylan Larkin and Jakub Vrana.
In adding Perron, the Wings drop another 20-30-goal weapon into that mix — perhaps to play alongside Copp on a newly formed second line — without having to stomach a bloated cap hit or dicey term for the 34-year-old. And don’t be fooled by the winger’s age. Perron’s having more than a career renaissance in his mid-30s — he’s playing the best hockey of his career.
Through 67 games last season, he put up 27 goals and 57 points. The year before, he posted 19 goals and 58 points in just 56 games. Before that, 25 goals and 60 points. The past five years of Perron’s career have been his best in terms of overall production. Still able to find open space and burn teams with his wicked release, or make plays at the netfront if the game gets tighter, Perron should inject some more reliable scoring into Detroit’s offence, along with some veteran savvy and Cup-champion know-how for the team’s young stars.
