‘There’s no Reason at this Point to Think about Anywhere Else’: David Perron Wants to Stay with Red Wings
David Perron wants to stay with the Detroit Red Wings for a variety of personal and professional reasons. As a pending UFA, he’ll have to negotiate a new contract to do so.
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports - ‘There’s no Reason at this Point to Think about Anywhere Else’: David Perron Wants to Stay with Red WingsDavid Perron might be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he left no doubts about where he wants to be:
“There’s no reason at this point to think about anywhere else or anything else,” Perron said of Detroit at his end-of-season interview on Thursday. “I hope it works out.”
The Red Wings might hope so, too. Perron, an alternate captain, is a vocal leader for Detroit and provides a lot of veteran leadership to a room that will likely feature lots of younger players in the coming years. Age might be slowing Perron down as he approaches 36, but he still provides valuable offensive depth with his 2.37 points per 60 (seventh among Detroit skaters). He scored big goals, too — game-tier with 3.4 seconds on the clock against Montreal could’ve been the biggest of the season if the Red Wings had made the playoffs.
As much as there might be a fit on the ice, everything off of it makes Detroit a fit for Perron. It’s close to his home province of Quebec with similar weather that reminds him of home. His parents can also drive to his games instead of facing their discomfort in flying. Even heading back home for offseason training is easier for Perron, in addition to a bundle of other personal reasons. His family is also starting to get comfortable into Detroit, especially his kids.
“I don’t know, maybe because my kids get older now, they start with the friends, making roots more and it’s a little tougher,” Perron explained. “I was saying that to (Andrew Copp) and a couple other guys about the picture I posted yesterday. It’s almost like I don’t play for myself anymore, you play for your family and my kids. I play through them, what their experience is.”
Perron shared how his kids are getting older and their involvement in his career is changing. He laughed about how his son started critiquing his game a little bit, and how J.T. Compher tried to get him to wear his No. 37 jersey in youth hockey with the promise of a PlayStation. He feels at home in Detroit, and so does his family.
As much as Perron wants to stay, the business side of hockey will determine whether Perron can do so. The price tag for Perron could especially dictate whether he remains a Red Wing. With forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider about to earn their first big contracts — likely upward of $7 million apiece — the Red Wings don’t have a lot of cap space to spend on Perron. They probably don’t have the money to keep him at his $4.75 million salary, and a pay cut seems likely. Perhaps that could keep Perron in Detroit, but it’s a discussion for general manager Steve Yzerman to make with Perron and agent Allan Walsh.
The Red Wings also have to ask themselves what role Perron will have going forward. He will almost inevitably regress with age, and right now it feels like his future role would be more inclined for the bottom six than being competitive as a top-six scorer. How much Detroit wants to spend on such a role player also has to be taken into consideration.
As for whether those conversations got a head start during the season, Perron wouldn’t say. He opted to play his cards close to the vest rather than speak out of turn.
“There’s always conversation but this is something that I really respect the organization,” Perron said. “I respect Steve and that’s kind of all I’m gonna say for now.”
But everything he did say — his desire to stay, his family’s comfort in Detroit — makes it clear that Perron wants to stay. Now, it’s up to the Red Wings to decide if they want him to, too.
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