A Look at What David Perron Brings to the Oilers
When the Edmonton Oilers traded for David Perron from the St. Louis Blues, many Oilers’ fans were thrilled with the acquisition. Not only is he an upgrade over the developing Magnus Paajarvi, but Perron instantly makes this hockey club better. And after missing the playoffs for seven straight seasons, another year of being told to be patient might have been enough to cause a riot at Rexall Place.
Craig MacTavish is making the moves that he promised he’d make and with at least one more trade a real possibility, he’s done a nice job thus far as the Oilers’ rookie GM by acquiring Perron.
But what exactly does the 25-year old bring to Edmonton? We reached out to our Fansided friends at Bleedin’ Blue, the St. Louis Blues site and asked editor Alex Hodschayan to given us additional insight into Perron and what type of player Oilers’ fans can expect to watch on a nightly basis. I have a feeling that we are going to enjoy watching this guy play in Edmonton and the good news is, he’s under contract for the next three seasons. Enjoy the Q&A with the Blues writer.
1. If you were to describe David Perron’s game by only using three words, what are they?
Skillful, Precise, Dynamic. There are a lot of Blues fans that will tell you that Perron has a hard time passing the puck in key situations, but I have always thought that it had more to do with his teammates than himself. Perron has great hockey vision and can walk around tough competition with ease, but does turn over a lot of pucks in the offensive end. Playing with the Oilers should help him come out of his shell and could push him to be the player many believe him to be.
2. What tangibles does Perron bring to the Oilers?
Perron brings a ton of skill and a great shot. He has the ability to score and when he is playing on a line with good chemistry he can make some great passes as well. His speed is going to be one part of his game that will help the Oilers as he can get up the ice fast and manages to skate through tight areas.
3. In your opinion, what are Perron’s strong suits and what areas could he improve on?
Perron is best known for his puck control and his shot. He can find openings and make goals happen, but needs competent linemates to do so. The problems with Perron didn’t begin until last season. He took a ton of penalties in the offensive end and never seemed to pass the puck. He would dance around defenders and carry the puck around in the offensive end until he was eventually stripped of the puck. Honestly though, for the money, you would be hard pressed to find a more skilled forward.
4. How concerned should Oilers’ fans be about the concussion he sustained in 2010 that forced him to miss all but 10 games that year?
It was a huge injury and actually kept him out of the lineup for almost another half a season in 2011-12. Perron took his time before getting back on the ice and worked with some of the best in the industry. I think the injury is behind him and his game seemed to show that. He was able to get in the dirty areas and wasn’t afraid to throw his body around when needed. He should stay mostly healthy and I don’t see that injury as a problem going forward.
5. How would you rate this trade overall for the Oilers?
I think this is a great trade for both sides. The Oilers are getting a lot more talent and player than they paid for and will love Perron’s game. Even when fans thought he was taking too many penalties and not delivering, many thought that trading Perron would be a mistake. When the Blues signed Derek Roy it was evident that someone was on there way out of St. Louis. This trade only favors the Blues payroll as it frees up another $3.8 million in cap space before resigning Paajarvi. The Blues are still negotiating with Alex Pietrangelo and Chris Stewart and can’t afford to lose either. If I were an Oilers fan I would be thrilled at getting Perron at such a low cost.