Why David Perron is such a key part of Detroit Red Wings' continued growth, even at age 35

When the Detroit Red Wings were enjoying a surge that pushed them into the first wild-card berth, it was David Perron who sounded a caution.

When the Wings needed to win their season finale to give themselves a chance at making the playoffs, it was Perron who scored a game-tying goal with three seconds remaining in regulation.

As general manager Steve Yzerman prioritizes his offseason to-do list — and it's extensive — with the goal of edging the Wings into the playoff picture, Perron's appeal is undeniable.

"It’s a player I have to give strong consideration to bring him back,” Yzerman said in his season-end review.

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Perron turns 36 at the end of May, but to write him off as aged is to undermine what his experience brings.

"This guy has been around for a long time," Yzerman said. "He’s a Stanley Cup champion. He can handle the pressure — he actually thrives on it. He loves the challenge. He is a tremendous leader.

"I see that on the ice. He’s a take-charge guy and the moment’s not too big for him. He competes hard and he’s determined. He’s a real professional. He has a real positive impact on our team."

Yzerman signed Perron as a free agent in the summer of 2022, for two years and $9.5 million. Now Perron is poised to become an unrestricted free agent again, and, along with Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere, is among the UFAs Yzerman would like to keep.

While Kane has been noncommittal regarding his future, Perron has been the opposite.

"I like it here," he said during post-season availabilities at Little Caesars Arena in April. "I think it’s a pretty special place. This building was the best this year. Every single comeback we had, there was a reason why we had them. We felt the support. The fans were incredible.

"The city in general, me and my family really enjoy it here. There’s no reason at this point to think about anywhere else, anything else. I hope it works out."

As always, it mostly will come down to money. Yzerman has two top restricted free agents in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider to re-sign, and they could eat up around $16 million combined in salary cap space.

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Perron certainly won't command the $4.75 million annual salary he's coming off, but even at half the price, it might be tough for Yzerman to swing. Gostisbehere, a priority to re-sign because of the offense he provides from the back end, isn't likely to take less than the $4.125 million he made this season. Kane may end up elsewhere, but even so, given the uncertainty over Ville Husso's availability after missing most of this season because of injury, Yzerman also has to bring in a goaltender.

Why Yzerman is so keen to keep Perron isn't difficult to parse. Although he is prone to slow-down penalties because of his age, Perron plays with immense passion. He all but willed a goal with 2:40 to play April 1 against Tampa Bay, which the Wings desperately needed to win (they did). And on April 16, Perron's goal in Montreal ensured the Wings controlled what they could control that night as far as staying in the fight for a playoff spot.

That goal gave Perron 17 on the season, along with 30 assists, in 76 games. He had 56 points in 82 games last season, but also played about a minute and a half more per game. The only games he has missed with the Wings are the six he served while suspended for a crosscheck on Ottawa's Artem Zub on Dec. 9; it was reckless, but Perron acted in the heat of the moment believing Zub responsible for Dylan Larkin lying unconscious on the ice.

Perron sticks up for his teammates and has the cachet to be critical, too. When the Wings were cruising through the second half of February rolling over one opponent after another, he was the one who worried those high-scoring outcomes weren't sustainable. (He was right: The Wings went on to lose their next seven games, costing them their spot inside the playoff picture).

"There was not many guys saying the same thing as me, but I felt like even during the six games, we were trying to outscore our problems, our mistakes, too much," he said. "There are mistakes every single game, but just valuing every single puck — we saw how important they were, every single mistake was bigger at the end of the year. They are the same throughout the whole year, it’s just sometimes you’re able to move on a little bit quicker. I do think that’s the mentality we have to have a little bit sooner.

"It wears on guys. It’s hard to play 82 games and be extremely physical, fully invested in the team aspect. I think when you’re young, you think you give away some offense, you give away other things, but hey, that’s what it takes sometimes to be a winning team."

That kind of insight and leadership, coupled with his ability to perform under pressure, is why the Wings see Perron as a crucial part of their continued growth.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why David Perron wants to re-sign with Detroit Red Wings