Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman recapped the decision to reacquire David Perron from the Ottawa Senators, as well as what his interest level was in other forward help now that the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is complete.
Currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Detroit Red Wings have put themselves in a position to be buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline for the first time in a decade.
Friday afternoon marked the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, and after the dust had completely settled, the Red Wings made a series of moves that they feel put them in an ideal position to move closer to clinching a postseason berth.
Filling a need on the blue line, the Red Wings acquired veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues. In return, they sent prospect forward Dmitri Buchelnikov, depth defenseman Justin Holl, a first-round selection, and the San Jose Sharks’ third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Earlier in the day, the Red Wings acquired that Sharks draft pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Elmer Soderblom, whose tenure with Detroit is now over.
Hours earlier on Trade Deadline eve, the Red Wings added depth to their forward group by reacquiring veteran David Perron, who played two seasons in Detroit from 2022 through 2024, from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick.
While Faulk is expected to join the Red Wings in time to face the New Jersey Devils on Sunday evening in New Jersey, Perron, who underwent sports hernia surgery in January, isn't ready to make his Detroit debut for what will be the second time in his NHL career.
Speaking with media members on Friday afternoon, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said the club is fully aware of David Perron’s injury and expected recovery timeline, indicating he should be ready to return in approximately two weeks.
"We know exactly what David's injury is, we know exactly where he is in his rehab, and we anticipate him (being) 14 days away, roughly, from playing," Yzerman said of Perron. "Obviously, we're comfortable doing that and making this trade with him."
Perron instantly became one of the veteran leaders in the dressing room when he first arrived in Detroit during the 2022 offseason, and those traits will only benefit Detroit as they look to return to the playoffs.
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“He brings a lot to the table," Yzerman said. "We had him before, and he brought a lot to our team on and off the ice. And in 14 days, we think we'll be back. Setbacks can happen; there is some risk to acquiring a player that is on IR, even a healthy guy could step on the ice tonight and get hurt.
But we know exactly where he's at in his rehab, we know the procedure, and we expect him to be at 100 percent in approximately two weeks. We're okay with it.”
While the Red Wings were rumored for weeks to be in the mix for other NHL forwards, including Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers), Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks), and Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), the asking price and need for his club didn't match Yzerman's vision.
“I can't comment on other teams' players, but I would say for what we felt our needs were, we talked to every team that had players with our needs, and talked about the possibility of a deal, explored trades, what the fits were, what we were willing to do," Yzerman explained of his interest level in additional forward help. "Sometimes, there's just no fit in what the other team was looking for; we didn't have that."
Others, the deal just wouldn't work," he continued. "So, safe to say, all of our needs, we talk to every team that has those types of players, and were willing to move them.”
Ultimately, Thomas, Pettersson, and Trocheck were not moved by their respective teams and remain in place.
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