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Veteran forward David Perron was back in the Detroit Red Wings dressing room as if he’d never left.
Perron, who was re-acquired by the Red Wings on Thursday evening from the Ottawa Senators on the eve of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, returns to a club still looking to claim their first postseason berth in a full decade.
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A Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Perron’s veteran presence and voice in the dressing room proved to be pivital for the Red Wings and was missed last season, during which he helped the rival Senators to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
He’s not quite ready to make his second debut with Detroit on the ice, as he’s still recovering from undergoing sports hernia surgery in January; GM Steve Yzerman anticipated Perron being able to play in approximately two weeks.
During an interview with the NHL Network on Friday, Perron said that he felt the Senators weren’t a perfect fit for him.
“I’m not sure the fit was ever all that perfect for me on this team (Ottawa), but at the same time, they provided me with a great chance to come in and do my thing,” Perron said on Friday.
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However, following his first practice back in Detroit on Saturday, Perron clarified that while the situation wasn’t the right fit, he still enjoyed his experience in Ottawa.
“I don’t want it to sound the way it came off, just different things that went on, you just kind of feel it,” Perron said. “I really enjoyed my time there, and I enjoyed the group of guys there. I think they have a good thing going.
Sometimes that’s just how it goes, but there’s no negative (aspect) about it,” he continued. “I went there and worked as hard as I could every day and tried to put my best foot forward, but sometimes things just don’t click there the right way. It didn’t always feel there, but getting to know their core group there… it was fun to play there.”
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Perron scored twice for the Senators during their opening-round playoff series last spring against the Toronto Maple Leafs, helping spark a brief comeback by winning two straight games after Toronto had taken a three-games-to-none series lead.
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Although the Senators ultimately fell to the Maple Leafs in six games, Perron said he is looking forward to the challenge of helping bring playoff hockey back to Detroit.
“I think this team and this city, it’s what we push for,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what you want to play for: those meaningful games and a playoff-type atmosphere, it’s where you really grow as a player.”
“It probably took me four or five runs before I started feeling comfortable, truly in a playoff atmosphere,” he continued. “You have to help everyone around you as much as you can, and help them take steps. It’s what it’s all about.”
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