David Perron signs with Dallas Stars for 20th NHL season
The 38-year-old forward, who split last season between Ottawa and Detroit, joins his eighth different NHL team.
DALLAS — David Perron is joining the Dallas Stars for his 20th NHL season, according to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The 38-year-old forward has signed a one-year contract with the Stars, which carries a prorated salary cap hit of $850,000 for the 2026-27 season.
"David Perron isn't ready to hang up the skates just yet," Friedman reported on Thursday.
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The Sherbrooke, Que., native split last season between the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, recording 13 goals and 28 points in 65 games.
He started the season with the Senators, who traded him back to Detroit at the deadline in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick. His return to the Red Wings saw him score just three goals and no assists in 16 games.
Perron's time in Ottawa, which began with a two-year, $8 million free-agent signing in 2024, was hampered by injuries and inconsistency. He had 16 points in 43 games in his first season and 25 points in 49 games last season before a sports hernia required surgery in January.
He did contribute two goals and an assist in six playoff games for the Senators against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2025 postseason. "His game-tying third period goal in Game 6 briefly gave the Sens the belief they might actually rally from an 0-3 series deficit to force Game 7, but it was not to be," according to reporting notes.
The Stars, who have started the season with a 3-3-1 record and have scored just 16 goals in seven games, are hoping Perron can provide a jump. "In the opening weeks of the campaign, the Stars realized they could utilize the tools the 20-year NHLer possesses," Daily Faceoff reported.
In the prime of his career, Perron was a consistent top-six forward, posting at least 45 points in eight consecutive seasons. He is a one-time all-star and won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Over his 1,239-game NHL career, Perron has 332 goals and 480 assists for 812 points. He has also recorded 64 points in 110 playoff games.
Dallas will be the eighth different team for the veteran, who was originally drafted 26th overall by the Blues in 2007. He has also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights, and has had three separate stints with St. Louis.
His career path includes being traded to Edmonton in 2013, dealt to Pittsburgh during the 2014-15 season, traded to Anaheim the following season, and claimed by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft before returning to St. Louis.
At this stage of his career, Perron is expected to fill a bottom-six role with the potential to contribute on the power play. "Perron has never been known for his defense. His best opportunities to be productive in the lineup are to help generate offense," The Hockey Writers noted.
His signing follows other veteran players extending their careers into a 20th season, such as Stephen Curry, who recently agreed to a contract extension to stay with the Golden State Warriors through his 20th NBA campaign.
With files from Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports and Daily Faceoff