Perron Leaving Red Wings for Atlantic Division Rival

There was certainly strong interest from David Perron in remaining with the Detroit Red Wings.

“I like it here,” Perron said at the end of the regular season. “It’s a pretty special place.

“There’s no reason at this point to think of anywhere else. I hope it works out.”

It didn’t work out. Instead, Perron was the first of Detroit’s UFAs to officially leave the club. On Monday, he was signing a two-year, $4 million pact with the Ottawa Senators.

PERRON ➡️ OTTAWA

David Perron has inked a two-year deal with the @Senators! #NHLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/RE5vWt6ZeD

— NHL (@NHL) July 1, 2024

While it would be wrong to label his departure as shocking, at season’s end it was also appearing as though there was at the very least a sense of Perron’s value to the club from team management.

“It’s a player I have to give strong consideration to bring him back,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said at the time.

Certainly, Perron’s leadership in the dressing room was something that players on the team were frequently citing as valuable. A Stanley Cup winner in St. Louis, Perron was demanding of himself and his teammates. He was keen on keeping everyone accountable.

Now, he’ll be bringing that leadership into the room of an Ottawa club that figures to be challenging along with Detroit for a playoff spot.

Apologies May Be On Agenda For Perron

Numbers-wise, Perron, 36, definitely was displaying a decline during his 17th NHL campaign. His goal total (17) was his smallest output since 2017-18. Meanwhile, his 47 points were Perron’s lowest total since 2018-19.

I think now that David Perron is a Senator, I think he should call up Zub and offer him a beer 🤣

— Alex Bigras (@Bigsythegreat57) July 1, 2024

The first order of business for Perron once he pulls on his Senators jersey might be to extend an apology to Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub. You’ll remember that last season, Perron was cross-checking Zub in the face following an incident in which Senators forward Mathieu Joseph was knocking Detroit captain Dylan Larkin with a punch to the face.

The NHL would issue an six-game suspension to Perron for this assault.