David Perron deserves every ounce of his success

St. Louis Blues forward David Perron is a man of many nicknames: DP, French Toast, Mr. Overtime and Mr. Consistency. And, rightfully so, as he’s a left winger, a hard worker and a great leader.

Perron was originally selected 26th overall in the first round by the Blues in the 2007 NHL Draft. After the draft, he told some reporters that he had every intention of making the team at training camp, and later signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team that amounted to $2,755,000. His offensive skill, consistent creativity, and persistent passion made him an unique left winger who gradually became a fan favorite.

Perron may be a journeyman, but he kept coming back to St. Louis. After his first stint with the Blues from 2007 to 2013, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Magnus Pääjärvi and a 2014 second-round pick. He spent just one season in Edmonton before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Rob Klinkhammer and a 2015 first-round pick.

When asked about the trade, Perron told NHL.com: “After a few years you just want to win ... Obviously it’s not going to happen this year in Edmonton. It’s nice to get an opportunity in Pittsburgh and to have that kind of trust they did to acquire me.”

Perron played just one year in Pittsburgh from 2015-16. He scored the Penguins’ lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in his NHL debut. He went on to score five goals in six games, tying his amount with the Oilers. However, his streak ended and he went goalless in the last 12 games of the regular season and the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. But he reportedly played with a rib injury since the Penguins’ regular season finale against the Buffalo Sabres, which must’ve been a tough thing to do as the average player would’ve wanted time to reset.

In 2016, Perron was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Carl Hagelin. He often played alongside center and captain Ryan Getzlaf, but he attracted attention to himself with his hot streak of 14 points in his first 15 games with the Ducks. Unfortunately, his hot streak was halted when a separated shoulder sidelined him for four to six weeks. He eventually bounced back in the regular season and the postseason, but when the Ducks lost to the Nashville Predators in Game 7 of the first round, head coach Bruce Boudreau was fired and Perron became an unrestricted free agent.

Perron returned to St. Louis for his second stint with the Blues from 2016-17. He recorded his third career hat trick in a 6-4 win over the Calgary Flames on October 23, 2016. He was a regular on the Blues’ second line, and in the playoffs, he was benched for taking too many penalties. He finished the playoffs with one point in 11 games. His second stint was cut short as he was unprotected and the Vegas Golden Knights selected him in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. He recorded a career-high 66 points in 70 regular season games and nine points in 15 postseason games with the Golden Knights.

Still, Perron decided to return to St. Louis. He signed four-year, $16 million contract with the Blues in 2018. Fans appreciated his love for the Blues and the City of St. Louis. His return was the start of a special summer as the Blues added Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon to their roster.

Perron suffered an upper-body injury, but he bounced back and finished the 2018-19 season with 46 points in 57 games. He helped the Blues power through the playoffs and eventually help themselves to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Perron has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was overlooked by both the NHL and the QMJHL. He led the Lewiston Maineiacs to their first President’s Cup in franchise history. He was the Maineiacs’ second-leading goal scorer with 28 points during their President’s Cup run.

Perron is a veteran who has added depth to the Blues’ roster. He should be protected from the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft. This may cause the Blues to struggle to organize their cap space, but he’ll be well worth the money.