Senators 2025-26 Player Preview: David Perron

After his sixth season, the Blues needed to shed some cap space as Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Stewart, and Jake Allen were becoming restricted free agents they needed to sign. Perron ended up as a cap casualty and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He would go on to score 28 goals, which is exactly what they brought him in for. The next season, as the Oilers were on a terrible skid en route to drafting Connor McDavid, he was traded to the Penguins.

Perron went on to the Anaheim Ducks, then as a free agent re-signed with the Blues, was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights, played one season, signed with the Blues again, and eventually ended up playing for the Detroit Red Wings and now the Senators.

A career like that sounds more like a fourth-line grinder who has bounced around the league as a journeyman. That isn’t the case at all for Perron. For his entire career, you could bank on 20 goals and anywhere from 45 to 60 points. He was a great middle-six winger and was coveted for a reason.

Perron’s first season with the Senators didn’t start in the way he, or anybody, wanted. He took an indefinite leave of absence at the start of the season to deal with a family matter, and upon his return in November, he suffered a back injury that held him out for 27 games.

Perron’s Role in 2025-26

There is no clear spot for Perron on the Senators’ roster. He is, of course, going to be on it, but he could find himself on the second line as an offensive option, or as low as on the fourth line to form a line with fellow veterans Lars Eller and Nick Cousins.

As of now, there have been no injuries or hurdles for Perron, and the expectation is that he is able to start the season healthy. While 20 goals and 60 points may be a bit too much to look for at Perron hits 37 years old, 15 goals and 40 points is perfectly reasonable, and if he does that at even strength, it can be a huge part of the step forward the Senators need to take in that regard.

Perron, as a veteran who has been in some pretty impressive lineups, is a versatile enough player that no matter where you need him to play, he can find a way to fit in. He would have a good chance of thriving in a third-line role with the likes of Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto, as the trio would have great defensive play, be a gritty, checking line, but also have offensive capabilities.

Once the playoffs hit last season, the experience Perron has around the league was evident. He was one of the few players in the first few games who didn’t seem extremely nervous and playing on eggshells. It was clear that his kind of leadership is needed on the team, and he can be a stabilizer for the young team, similar to how Claude Giroux does.