David Perron’s Return to Detroit Has Been a Disappointment

The Detroit Red Wings were busier than usual at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, which isn’t saying much. They traded away Elmer Soderblom for a 2026 third round pick, landed a big fish in Justin Faulk for a first round pick and some extra pieces, and they traded for David Perron which cost them a 2026 fourth round pick. 

While Perron was more of a depth addition than a difference maker, early returns have been underwhelming to say the least. His production has cratered and his on-ice metrics have dipped significantly from the bulk of his season spent with the Ottawa Senators to now. 

However, I don’t think he deserves full blame as the coaching staff’s deployment of him has been a bit messy. Let’s take a look at Perron’s second stint with the Red Wings so far and what can be done in the final few games of the season to maximize his impact.

Start with the Senators

In 49 games with the Senators this season, Perron scored 25 points, putting him on a respectable 41 point pace. His advanced metrics looked quite positive as well, with a Corsi For Percentage (CF% is the shot attempts for divided by the shot attempts against while a player is on the ice) of 53.22% and an Expected Goals Percentage (xG%) of 59.57% (stats via. Natural Stat Trick).