Atlantic Notes: Perron, Sergachev, Lundell, Stephens
While Red Wings winger David Perron’s six-game suspension was upheld yesterday by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the six games have already been served, the appeal process isn’t over just yet. Perron’s agent Allan Walsh tweeted that his client (in conjunction with the NHLPA) will exercise the option to further appeal to a neutral arbitrator. At this point, the value in doing so would be a potential return of forfeited salary – Perron lost over $148K due to the suspension – as well as simply lowering the number of games for comparative purposes should a similar incident happen again.
More from the Atlantic:
- Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev will miss tonight’s game against Washington, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 25-year-old missed Thursday’s victory over Vegas due to a lower-body injury and did not accompany the team on this trip. Head coach Jon Cooper noted that the hope is that Sergachev will be ready to return after the holiday break. His production is down a bit this season compared to his 64-point outing last season but Sergachev still has 19 points in 33 games so far.
- The Panthers will welcome back center Anton Lundell today against Vegas, relays team reporter Jameson Olive (Twitter link). The 22-year-old has missed the last four games due to illness but was recently activated off injured reserve. Lundell is off to a slow start to his third NHL season as he has just two goals and ten assists in his first 28 games.
- Canadiens center Mitchell Stephens played in his tenth game of the year Friday against Chicago. This means that he will have to pass through waivers in order to return to the minors. Stephens cleared waivers back in the preseason but was recalled at the beginning of the month. He has a goal in those ten appearances while winning a little over 55% of his faceoffs.
Snapshots: Gibson, Perron, Dell
According to the EliteProspects transaction page, former NHL goaltender, Christopher Gibson, will return home to Finland, as he has signed a contract with Rauman Lukko of the Finnish Liiga. As recently as last year, Gibson was rostered in the Seattle Kraken organization, playing all season for their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Gibson was originally drafted 49th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2011 NHL Draft but would wind up signing his entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013. Only two years later, Gibson was a part of the trade that sent Michael Grabner to the Maple Leafs, has was included in the return for the New York Islanders.
Spending the better part of 10 years in the American Hockey League, Gibson is a veteran of 244 games at the minor league level, carrying a record of 124-77-37, with a .910 SV% and a 2.64 GAA. At the NHL level, Gibson will leave North America having played in only 16 games over seven seasons, carrying a .901 SV% and a 3.33 GAA.
Other snapshots:
- Returning to the lineup tonight regardless of the decision, the NHL decided to uphold the six-game suspension of Detroit Red Wings forward, David Perron, after the NHLPA filed an appeal on his behalf. After the appeal process played out, Commissioner Gary Bettman relied heavily on Perron’s intentions during the play to defend the original suspension, as the entirety of his reason can be found here.
- Signing Aaron Dell to a professional tryout agreement only four days ago, the Carolina Hurricanes will be watching Dell from overseas as they decide on his immediate future with the organization. Approaching next week, Dell has been added to Team Canada’s roster for the 2023 Spengler Cup, and will likely serve as Dell’s overall tryout with the Hurricanes organization.
NHLPA Files Appeal On Behalf Of David Perron
Sportsnet is reporting that the NHLPA has filed an appeal on behalf of Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron after he was suspended six games for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday night. Perron cross-checked Zub after a battle in front of the Senators net turned ugly resulting in Perron’s teammate Dylan Larkin being severely injured after taking multiple shots to the head and neck area from Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly. While Larkin lay motionless on the ice, Perron went after Zub and crosschecked him in the face which ultimately resulted in the suspension.
The incident was out of character as Perron doesn’t have a history of suspensions or supplemental discipline. It was certainly a heat of the moment reaction from the 35-year-old but one which will cost him to miss some games. The fact that Perron doesn’t have a history of disciplinary actions could play in his favor while he goes through the appeal process.
Perron’s appeal will go right to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who will make a decision on the matter. If Bettman opts not to grant Perron the appeal, he can go to an independent arbitrator who will then decide. If the suspension remains in place at six games, the native of Sherbrooke, Quebec wouldn’t be able to return to the Red Wings lineup until their matchup on December 22nd against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The six-game suspension to Perron is the longest suspension handed down by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in nearly two years and highlighted a busy weekend for George Parros and company.
David Perron Receives Six-Game Suspension
The Department of Player Safety has reached its verdict on Red Wings winger David Perron, announcing (video link) that they have handed him a six-game suspension for his cross-check on Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday. The video explains why the suspension was well beyond the norm for a standard cross-check:
This is not a hockey play. This is an intentional strike with a stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent. Perron takes several strides toward Zub, and, with sufficient time to choose to engage Zub in a different manner, or at the very least ensure that the cross-check is delivered directly to the body, comes up excessively high with his stick and delivers a shot to Zub’s head with force.
The video also acknowledged that Detroit tried to make the claim that this was not a direct blow to the head but that the league disagrees, saying that “the brunt of the impact of this blow was clearly absorbed by Zub’s head due directly to the actions and choices made by Perron”.
Perron is eligible to appeal the suspension. It would first be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman. If he was to uphold the suspension, Perron would then be eligible to appeal to an independent arbitrator since the suspension is for more than five games.
Perron will forfeit $148.4K as a result of the suspension with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Barring the suspension being reduced on appeal, he will be eligible to return on December 22nd against Philadelphia.
David Perron Offered In-Person Hearing For Cross-Check
4:58 p.m.: Perron’s in-person hearing will take place via Zoom tomorrow afternoon, the Department of Player Safety said Sunday night.
11:10 p.m.: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has announced that veteran forward David Perron has been offered an in-person hearing for a cross-check in last night’s game that he delivered to Ottawa Senators blueliner Artem Zub.
According to the Department of Player Safety’s protocols, a player is offered an in-person hearing “if the infraction might require a suspension of six games or more.”
Looking at the play in question, it’s understandable that George Parros and the Department of Player Safety would consider significant supplemental discipline. The infraction occurred late in the first period of yesterday’s game. In response to a play that left captain Dylan Larkin motionless on the ice, Perron unleashed a high cross-check onto Zub’s head area, attacking a player who appeared to hold his hand out looking to diffuse the situation.
Not only did Perron make direct contact with Zub’s head, he also jumped upwards to do so, displaying a clear intent to attack the head area. While the principle of sticking up for one’s teammate is central to the game, it’s hard to argue Perron did anything but take that principle way too far with his actions. Perron was immediately assessed a match penalty on the play, the penalty carrying the serious tag of “intent to injure.”
As a result of this play, the Red Wings appear likely to be without Perron for a potentially significant period of time. A suspension appears to be a certainty at this point, which would leave the Red Wings without one of their most experienced forwards. The team’s recent acquisition of Patrick Kane should soften the blow of that loss, of course, but still losing a player who scored 24 goals and 56 points last season for some important games is surely bad news for Detroit.
Assuming a suspension, expect to see 23-year-old Jonatan Berggren assume Perron’s spot in the lineup. The 23-year-old 2018 33rd overall pick has scored 15 points in 16 AHL games so far this season and scored 15 goals in his NHL rookie year in 2022-23.
Central Notes: Stars, Blues, Slaggert
While Dallas has roughly $11MM in cap space per CapFriendly and still has to re-sign RFA winger Jason Robertson and RFA goaltender Jake Oettinger, assistant GM Scott White told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that the Stars don’t believe they’re in a position where they have to shed money to keep those two around. They have enough cap space left to sign one of the two to a long-term contract while the other would need to be on a short-term bridge deal but doing that would allow them to keep Radek Faksa and Denis Gurianov in the fold. To get both RFAs signed to long-term contracts, one of those two forwards and likely goalie Anton Khudobin would need to be moved out to open up extra cap flexibility. As a result, their summer shopping is likely done until Robertson and Oettinger put pen to paper on their new contracts.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- In an interview on ESPN 101 (audio link), winger David Perron indicated he didn’t receive a formal contract offer from the Blues before eventually signing a two-year, $9.5MM deal with Detroit. Perron and St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong both expressed mutual interest in a new contract getting reached, especially after the 34-year-old put up 57 points in 67 games last season. However, as Armstrong noted to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his priority was shoring up the defense and Nick Leddy’s willingness to sign a four-year, $16MM contract basically took any chance of them keeping Perron in the fold off the table.
- Blackhawks prospect Landon Slaggert gave no consideration to turning pro after his sophomore season at Notre Dame, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). The 20-year-old forward had 26 points in 40 games last season and was named to the United States’ roster for the postponed World Juniors. Powers adds that it would be surprising if the 2020 third-rounder doesn’t turn pro after the college season comes to an end, however, potentially creating a situation where Chicago could burn the first year of his entry-level deal right away and give him a taste of NHL action.
Detroit Red Wings Sign David Perron
The Atlantic Division arms race continues. After signing Andrew Copp earlier today, the Detroit Red Wings have inked David Perron. The team has officially announced the signing, with Perron getting a two-year contract worth $4.75MM per year.
For the first time in his lengthy career, the 34-year-old Perron has signed a contract with someone other than the St. Louis Blues. He’ll join the upstart Detroit squad and offer a plug-and-play offensive dynamo for new head coach Derek Lalonde to deploy. Almost seeming to get better with age, Perron has recorded at least 46 points in each of his last six seasons, including 27 goals and 57 points this year in just 67 games.
Strong on the powerplay and at even-strength, he will add even more firepower to a suddenly dangerous-looking Red Wings group, that could be ready to compete for the postseason again.
Importantly, with the deal stretching just two years, general manager Steve Yzerman maintains his cap flexibility, something that has been so important during this Red Wings rebuild. Copp and Benn Chiarot earned long-term deals from the team today but Perron and Dominik Kubalik are only signed through 2023-24, meaning there will be a good amount of money to re-sign young players like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, who will be coming off their entry-level deals.
There is some risk that Perron’s game takes a step backward as he heads into his mid-thirties but unless his offense falls off a cliff immediately, it shouldn’t really pose a problem for the Red Wings. Even after their spending spree this offseason they have a good amount of cap space left, meaning there is no danger of getting squeezed by an underperforming 30-something.
Latest On David Perron
Several veterans in this year’s UFA class appeared as though they wouldn’t be going anywhere, and one of those names was that of St. Louis Blues winger David Perron. Back in late May, Perron had expressed his interest in returning to the Blues, who are not the only team he has ever played for, but they are the only team he has ever signed a contract with. Conversely, around the same time, Blues’ GM Doug Armstrong made it clear that he wanted to bring Perron back. A reunion between the two sides made perfect sense, Perron being a perennial offensive weapon for the Blues since the start of his career, though mixing in stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Now, just about a day-and-a-half from the opening of free agency, The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Perron is expected to hit the open market on Wednesday, making it unlikely he will return to the Blues. Seravalli adds that cordial talks have been ongoing between team and player, but the team simply does not have the necessary salary cap space to make an appropriate offer to Perron. The news is tough for the Blues, and presumably Perron, who were hoping to continue the relationship, but the realities of a flat salary cap have taken hold. The Blues currently have $9MM in available salary cap space, but do have to re-sign several RFAs and may look to retain pending UFA Nick Leddy. Even if this offseason was no problem, chances are Perron will command a multi-year contract, and St. Louis also has four star forwards with expiring contracts next offseason: UFAs Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly and RFAs Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, amongst others.
One positive to take from the update on Perron is the amicable nature of ongoing discussions, with the impasse being St. Louis’ cap situation rendering them unable to make what would constitute a reasonable offer. In other words, the desire for a new contract is apparently still there between both sides. It would be highly unlikely that the Blues can shed the necessary cap to make that offer to Perron by Wednesday afternoon, however Perron does have the option to take a wait-and-see approach on his free agency. While that option could be risky for Perron, if he does do so and the Blues cannot do what’s needed to offer him a contract, the veteran could serve as an option for a team who sought to spend on another top-notch option like a Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin, or Claude Giroux, but missed out.
Some may wonder, with Perron coming off of a four-year, $16MM pact, and the Blues having $9MM in salary cap space, what would, absent Tarasenko, O’Reilly, Thomas, and Kyrou’s contracts next year, stop St. Louis from bringing Perron back, especially on a one-year deal? Although it is technically possible, Perron is coming off a rather team-friendly deal that allowed him to return to St. Louis, signing at the $4MM AAV after posting 66 points in 70 games for Vegas the season before. Since then, Perron has continued his performance, even stepping up his game, scoring 94 goals to go along with 127 assists in 251 games over the life of the contract, including a 2020-21 that featured 58 points in 56 games. At 34 years of age, producing as well as he ever has, Perron could be due a fairly long-term deal and would be unlikely to settle at such a team-friendly rate once again.
Latest On St. Louis Blues Impending UFAs
When it comes to icing a competitive roster each season, it’s hard to count out the St. Louis Blues and General Manager Doug Armstrong, and in theory, the same should hold true for 2022-23. However, Armstrong and the Blues do have a tricky task ahead of them this offseason: try to re-sign, or replace, four key UFAs this offseason, while re-signing two regular RFAs. Earlier today, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, who covers the Blues, provided updates on the status of the four impending UFAs (subscription required).
On veteran forward David Perron, Rutherford writes that the two sides are not close to an agreement, but nothing has changed in the two sides’ desire for a reunion. Rutherford points out an interesting fact, though perhaps an unfortunate one for Perron: he has signed five multi-year deals in his NHL career, and played for five NHL teams, but all five of those contracts were signed with St. Louis. Now 34, with 15 NHL seasons and a Stanley Cup on his resume, Perron will likely be in search of stability and while he has, and ultimately has not, had that in St. Louis, it would be foreseeable that he could ask for some sort of tight no-movement clause, however those have been a key sticking point in Armstrong’s negotiations in the past. When asked, Armstrong did not disclose the status of the negotiations, but Rutherford adds a source close to the negotiations informed him that the offer is likely two-years at an AAV much lower than Perron would like.
Breakout goaltender Ville Husso, after just his second NHL season, is set to hit the UFA market and as Rutherford writes, is probably not returning to St. Louis. Rutherford adds that Husso and the Blues are going to begin some sort of dialogue shortly, however the team may be priced out of re-signing him, with The Athletic forecasting a $4.1MM AAV for the 27-year-old. That figure is technically within the Blues’ range given their cap space, but given Jordan Binnington‘s rebound performance and the emergence of young goaltender Joel Hofer in the AHL, St. Louis may ultimately be better-off focusing their cap space to address needs, rather than perhaps creating a logjam in net.
Nick Leddy‘s value on the open market seems to be a popular debate topic, and rightfully so. A young Leddy compiled several strong seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks before being traded to the New York Islanders, having another excellent season ahead of a seven-year, $38.5MM extension on Long Island. The defenseman had several down years before reviving his career as a steady defenseman who excelled in transition under Barry Trotz, but was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2021 to alleviate cap concerns for the Islanders. Leddy struggled in Detroit, but was again dealt, landing with the Blues where he appeared to return to form.
His struggles in Detroit appear to have taken a toll on his value, with The Athletic projecting just a $1.7MM salary next season, Rutherford chalking that up to Leddy’s time in Detroit, adding that Leddy is seeking a four or five year deal at around $5MM per season. Whether or not he hits his goal, that price-tag may prove too expensive for the Blues, Rutherford adding that a discount, rooted in comfort playing for the Blues, would be what it takes to keep Leddy in the fold most likely, though that is not expected.
Lastly, Rutherford touches on Tyler Bozak, who had signed a one-year, incentive-laden $750K contract for the 2021-22 season. Bozak has seen more limited time and production since coming to St. Louis as compared to his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, however his ability to play a complete 200 foot game combined with his on and off-ice leadership, has made him a much-appreciated asset for St. Louis. Still, Rutherford says that while Bozak may be had on a similar contract for next season, a return is unlikely given the emergence of forward Alexey Toropchenko, re-signing Logan Brown, and a full-time debut of Jake Neighbours.
At $9MM in cap space, St. Louis is going to be forced to make tough decisions, and must also consider two RFAs this summer in defensemen Niko Mikkola and Scott Perunovich. Further, all of this goes without mentioning their 2023 free agent class that they have to be mindful of, which includes the likes of Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas on the RFA side and Ivan Barbashev, Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko on the UFA side.
Latest On David Perron
May 31: There is certainly mutual interest, as Armstrong came right out and told reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that he wants to bring Perron back. In what can often be a difficult period for pending free agents, this appears to be a relatively easy situation for both sides.
May 30: With the St. Louis Blues’ season now over, the focus of the team can now shift more fully towards their offseason. This summer looks like it will be a reasonably busy one for GM Doug Armstrong. He has several notable players hitting either restricted or unrestricted free agency and potential extensions to ponder for players approaching their own free agencies a year from now. One of the most important players now out of a contract is winger David Perron.
Perron, 34, has spent the past four seasons in St. Louis and that stretch represents his third separate tenure as a Blue. These past four years have been the most productive of his career, and this has led people to wonder if he would depart St. Louis once again to cash in on what could be his last guaranteed chance at a long, lucrative contract. While that speculation is reasonable, it appears that Perron has different priorities. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Perron “wants to go back” to St. Louis. He states that he expects Perron to sign an extension to remain a Blue “unless [Friedman] is told otherwise.”
As has been previously mentioned, Perron has enjoyed some of the best seasons of his career in these past four years, and he plays a major role on a team intent on winning another Stanley Cup. Perron had 70 points in 79 games this season (including the playoffs) and is part of the core group of players that led the team to its first championship. While the allure of a bigger contract or new opportunities attracts many players towards departing their teams as free agents, it seems from this report that Perron values continuity and familiarity over the unknown of the open market. It’s an entirely reasonable preference that should, in theory, help the Blues as they negotiate his extension.
From the perspective of rival clubs, the free agent market this summer may have lost one of its most talented scorers. So for other teams in need of offensive talent, the market for those players may have just gotten a little bit thinner.