CBS Sports’ Austin Nivision posted a list of his “top signings” of the unrestricted free agency period, and two Red Wings players made his list:
David Perron | LW | Detroit Red Wings: While it may not be the biggest move, this is up there with my favorite signings of the offseason. David Perron is 34, but he still has plenty of game left, and Detroit signed him for just $4.75 million per year over the next two seasons. Perron is coming off a 2021-22 campaign with the Blues in which he scored 27 goals and tallied 30 assists in 67 games played.
The Red Wings needed some forward depth, and they got a quality top-six winger in Perron. He will also add some experience and veteran leadership to a locker room that has some incredibly skilled young players. Defenseman Moritz Seider just won the Calder Trophy and winger Lucas Raymond was right there in the race with him. Perron’s presence will supplement those players as Detroit tries to turn a corner in its rebuild under general manager Steve Yzerman. Even if that doesn’t happen, Perron could bring back a strong haul in a trade.
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Andrew Copp | C | Detroit Red Wings:
Steve Yzerman can’t be accused of resting on his laurels this offseason. Sensing his team is ready to make a playoff push, he went on a bit of spending spree and Copp is one of the notable additions. Signed for five seasons at a total of $28.125 million, Copp will be a significant part of the future in Detroit.
After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Winnipeg Jets, Copp had a bit of a coming out party last year. Always a reliable presence in the defensive zone, Copp found an offensive groove in 2021-22, and he scored eight goals in 16 games after being traded to the Rangers. What might be even more impressive about Copp’s brief tenure in New York is the fact that the Rangers posted a 56.44% expected goals share at five-on-five when he was in the game, according to Natural Stat Trick. Considering that was not New York’s strong suit, that shows the impact Copp can have at both ends of the ice.
Continued; I can’t see Perron moving in a trade given that he’ll have 1 year remaining on his $4.75 million cap-hit contract this spring.
