The Detroit Red Wings made their first trade of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline season on Thursday night. And they reunited with a familiar face in the process. Detroit re-acquired veteran winger David Perron from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick.
Perron spent two seasons with Detroit after joining the Red Wings in 2022. He did not make the postseason with the Winged Wheel, but he was well-loved within the organization. On Friday, defenseman Moritz Seider explained how he impacted Detroit's locker room, and why the team is excited to have him back.
“His care level is just really high. He always thinks about the guy next to him, never puts himself on the first position. And that’s something we really admire and appreciate,” Seider said, via Ansar Khan of MLive.com.
Perron had a bit of an up-and-down tenure in Ottawa. He signed with the team in 2024 after Detroit allowed him to hit the open market. He was limited to 43 games last season due to injury. However, he did have a massive moment in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring a game-tying goal in Game 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa eventually lost that game, and were eliminated.
This season, the 36-year-old has had a much better season. He has not played since January 20th due to a sports hernia. In saying this, he has 10 goals and 25 points in 49 games. He has also been an incredible defensive presence in Ottawa's bottom-six.
The Red Wings are looking to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. Adding a familiar face like Perron could be the start of a busy day for Detroit. Let's see what else they do at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
