The Detroit Red Wings sit fourth-last in the NHL through five games, averaging just two goals per game. The team's leading scorer is offseason acquisition Viktor Arvidsson, with three goals, while Alex DeBrincat has two. Five others have a goal each, but the only notable player who hasn't contributed yet is Lucas Raymond.
The lack of scoring makes it clear that the Red Wings' biggest problem, other than their off-ice drama, is a severe lack of scoring talent. It is no wonder they are looking for a player who can contribute right away in a Dylan Larkin trade, as their offense will get even worse without their former captain, even though he has no points in his last two games after recording two points in his season debut.
While Detroit is looking to improve its team through trade, either with a Larkin deal or if a Simon Edvinsson trade comes to fruition, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun believes they have had some internal discussions about two free agents: Patrik Laine and David Perron, according to his recent article for The Athletic.
"The Detroit Red Wings are another team that has had talks with the Laine camp, but the Red Wings, in case you haven’t heard, have a lot going on these days. Perron, who is skating back home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, staying in shape, had 13 goals in 65 games split between the Ottawa Senators and the Red Wings last season. I wouldn’t rule out the Red Wings as a potential reunion fit."Pierre LeBrun
The forward group has a spot for one of these veterans, as Todd McLellan has been experimenting with an 11-forward, 7-defensemen split. It would take one of the young defensemen off the blueline, but adding someone like Laine to the fourth line as an offensive specialist would be a shrewd move.
David Perron and Patrik Laine's fit with the Red Wings
Laine would be added purely for his scoring touch, mostly as a powerplay specialist at this point in his career. It is really what Detroit needs to add a bit more offense to their lineup, but the possibility of signing Perron instead brings a bit of a different element.
Perron is a bit more of an agitator and can contribute in other ways, but he doesn't have the high-end scoring ability of Laine. Detroit believed the veteran Perron would be a good trade deadline addition last season, but he scored just three goals with no assists in 16 games as the Red Wings missed out on the playoffs once again.
Laine would at least give the fans a bit of hope that he can go on a scoring streak and find some of what made him the second-overall pick in the 2016 draft, but I believe Perron would just be a move that lands flat. For the Red Wings, it'd be hard to have another front office move that causes negative noise amongst the fanbase.
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