Leafs a potential suitor for Stanley Cup champion David Perron
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be very busy this summer and one of the players they could pursue aggressively is pending UFA and Cup winner David Perron.
Perron may be not be a spring chicken anymore, about to turn 36 years of age, but when it comes to his play on the ice, Perron has managed to remain very effective deep into his 30's.
From a secondary scoring aspect, Perron has been among the most consistent players in the league for a lot of years running, which could really help the Leafs, as secondary scoring is a huge area of need in Toronto. He's been a double-digit goal scorer in every season but one in his NHL career - an injury-plagued 2010-11 season that saw him play just 10 games - and in that season, he scored 5 goals.
Perron has produced 46-66 points in each of his last 8 seasons, but what's more is the type of edge and passion that he plays with. Not only is it conducive to winning hockey games, it's conducive to winning in the playoffs, which is the primary goal for the Leafs - winning when it matters most. He also happens to be a solid power play contributor, which is certainly an area of need in Toronto.
After winning a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Perron played 3 more seasons with the Blues before inking a 2-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, which expires this summer. Another interesting point to note is that Perron was a favourite of Craig Berube during their time together with the Blues.
After a 47-point season across 76 games in 2023-24, which saw him tie Max Domi and finish 4 points ahead of Tyler Bertuzzi, it's clear that he can still produce. The question is, what type of contract will he want?
Perron is coming off of a deal that paid him just $4.75M per season, which is less than the $5.5M that the Leafs paid Bertuzzi last season. At 36, I'd be willing to bet that he could be had for a lot less and still remain equally productive.
The key here for the Leafs would be a short-term deal, in the 2-year range, offering the extra year to keep the cost down. With the multi-year commitment, I wouldn't be surprised to see his cap hit come in somewhere around $3M-$3.5M, which would be excellent value for a player who has easily 2 productive years left in him.
The fit here is undeniable. The question is, does Perron have any desire to play for the Maple Leafs?
| POLL | ||
MAI 24 | 375 ANSWERS Leafs a potential suitor for Stanley Cup champion David Perron Should the Leafs take a run at signing David Perron this summer? | ||
| Yes, he's a proven winner | 51 | 13.6 % |
| No, he's too old | 182 | 48.5 % |
| I'd be okay with it, but only at a low cap hit | 142 | 37.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
