A Blues legend just signed with a division rival

In an effort to shore up their forward depth while they're dealing with injuries (particularly Matt Duchene, who's on Long-Term Injured Reserve), the Dallas Stars signed forward David Perron to a one-year, $850,000 AAV contract. Rumors swirled last night, and it was made official this morning.

Perron, drafted 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2007, will be starting his 20th NHL season. The Stars will be the eighth NHL team he's played for.

Perron's career to date

It's rare that a player rejoins the team that drafted him after departing, and rarer still that he does it twice--Perron, however, is one such player. He joined the Blues in his first season after being drafted, playing 62 games and tallying 13 goals and 27 points. Over the next five seasons, he played 278 games in St. Louis and amassed 71 goals, 100 assists, and 171 points while averaging 16:31 of ice time per game.

Perron floated around the league after that. First, he went to the Edmonton Oilers, and in his second season was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was traded again the following season, from Pittsburgh to the Anaheim Ducks. For the 2026-17 season, he rejoined the St. Louis Blues for the first time and played a full 82 games; he scored 18 goals and 46 points.

It was a short-lived tenure, though, as Perron wound up on the fledgling Vegas Golden Knights as part of the NHL's expansion draft...and that, too, was a short-lived adventure, as Perron wound up back in St. Louis the following season: the year the Blues won the Stanley Cup. He remained in St. Louis for three more seasons before joining the Detroit Red Wings.

Perron spent two seasons with the Wings, then signed with the Ottawa Senators, who, midway through his second season with them, traded him back to Detroit. Honestly, it is a little crazy how many times David Perron has returned to teams he's either left or been traded away from, and it must speak to how well-liked he is by front offices and teammates alike.

What he provides for the Stars

As mentioned, the Stars are dealing with a long-term injury to Matt Duchene, and the forward depth that's been a hallmark of their success in recent years has been flagging. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are both in their mid- to late-30s and are not nearly as effective as they once were; it's left their bottom six quite weak as a result.

Perron himself is no spring chicken, but he's shown he can still be an effective depth forward who chips in about 15 goals and 30ish points per season. The Central Division remains quite competitive, but the Stars are still one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Adding Perron gives them much-needed depth support--and, probably, a bit of levity in the locker room.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow