In another solid move by Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings picked up left wing David Perron in free agency this summer; what can we expect from him?
Steve Yzerman wasted no time signing free agent forward David Perron to a two-year contract this offseason, addressing the team’s lack of scoring depth.
The team already has a great top line, with Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Tyler Bertuzzi putting up solid offensive numbers, though the rest of the lines need some help getting more pucks in the net.
What can David Perron bring to help the Detroit Red Wings score more goals this season?
I have watched David Perron play in games against the Wings over the years and tuned into some playoff games he has been a part of. Since I don’t follow the Blues closely, I wanted to get some information on what Perron is all about and take a look at his career stats. I was able to find his stats as well as the scouting report below at sportsforecaster.com to get a feel for his play.
"“Continues to put up good offensive numbers at an age when others tend to slow down. His creativity makes him an excellent passer who excels at finding teammates in good scoring positions, and he finishes well enough to keep opponents from backing off of him. Injuries are a consideration, especially since he is well into his 30s.”"
This is precisely who Detroit needed to add to our second line in order to get some more pucks into the net this year! I feel that passing is one of the biggest weaknesses of the Wings, so adding an excellent passer who can create plays by finding his teammate open is crucial for the team.
There were so many times over the last few years I would see an open man missed by a bad pass or not noticed by his teammates.
Looking at some other stats for Perron, a few things stand out to me. For the past five seasons, his plus-minus rating has been positive on the season.
I don’t think this means that he will have a big impact on the team’s defensive woes. However, I believe that if a guy can keep a positive rating for the season, it shows responsible habits are a part of their game.
David Perron can bring some more offense to a Detroit Red Wings team that needs some help.
I remember the Wings getting outscored pretty badly in quite a few games last year, so I wanted to see what the stats were and found them at tsn.com, and they aren’t great. The Detroit Red Wings were 25th in the league in goals scored with 227, which isn’t terrible; they were nine goals away from being in the top 20 of the league.
Since Perron is older, I mainly looked at his scoring numbers from the last three regular seasons, and he averaged 23 goals and 35 assists for an average of 58 points per season. Making these numbers look even better is the fact that Perron has only averaged 65 games for those same three seasons, so if he can play in all 82 games of a season, he is likely to score even more.
Another bright spot for Perron is power-play goals, an area in which the Detroit Red Wings will need some significant improvement this coming season.
The Red Wings finished the season 26th in power play percentage at 16.3%. Between the regular season and the playoffs, Perron scored 15 power-play goals. For reference, Larkin and Bertuzzi were tied for most power-play goals on the team with six.
Another place where Perron can have an impact is if the Wings can manage to make it into the playoffs this season, which I don’t think will be out of the question.
Last year he put up nine goals and four assists in 12 playoff games. Looking at his previous three postseason runs with the Blues, Perron can put up some impressive numbers in the playoffs and will bring a lot of value to the team if the opportunity arises this season.
One thing that can be a point of concern for Perron is his age. At 34 years old, he is certainly not a spring chicken these days. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that he has only averaged 65 games played over the last three years could be a point of concern since he hasn’t played an entire season during that time.
I don’t find this to be a big issue as he was only signed to a two-year deal, and I feel that he can keep a good scoring pace during at least the length of his contract, if not further.
A positive side of his age is that he will bring all his experience and leadership to the team. Having a guy like Perron around will help develop the younger players that the team is banking on for their future.
I want to hear what you guys think David Perron will bring to the table this year. Will he score 30 goals? Will he have 15 power-play goals again? I feel he can make a big impact on the team and do it quickly.
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Perron will use his experience and leadership to help bring all the new team members together quickly and help push the team over the hump in some of the one-goal games this year. Let me know what you guys think in the comments section below.