David Perron Signs a Contract Before Patrik Laine

Perron will be entering his 20th NHL season, which is truly impressive. He'll have finally landed a contract before Patrik Laine.

He'll be able to help the Stars, who have lost Matt Duchene to injury for several months.

This is a major blow to Laine, who is still waiting for a call from a team and training alone in Florida. On paper, though, the fit with Dallas seemed promising, especially given the large number of Finnish players on the team

I understand that some teams are still evaluating their internal options, but there must be something fishy going on with Laine. How much do teams fear his lack of five-on-five rhythm that they're giving Perron a chance before him?

I believe he hasn't lost his scoring touch and that he could help several teams, at the very least on the power play. Time will tell if a team will eventually offer him a real opportunity.

In a Nutshell

– Lots of questions in Detroit.

– There are still some holes in Toronto.

– Things are really not going well in Philadelphia.