Former Senators forward David Perron isn't quite ready to hang up his skates.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman posted on social media Thursday night that he's hearing the 38-year-old veteran is joining the Dallas Stars, extending an impressive NHL career that began nearly two decades ago.
It would be the tenth time Perron has changed teams since breaking into the league with the St. Louis Blues in 2007.
For Senators fans, the news is a reminder of a free-agent signing that never quite worked out as planned.
Perron was one of a slew of free agent forwards the Sens signed in 2024, along with Michael Amadio, Noah Gregor, Adam Gaudette, and Nick Cousins. Perron got a two-year, $8 million deal to provide secondary scoring, leadership and some much-needed playoff experience.
At the time, Perron was coming off a productive season with the Detroit Red Wings, where he had just recorded 47 points in 76 games.
But his time with the Sens wasn't nearly as productive.
In his first season with the Senators in 2024-25, Perron managed just 16 points in 43 games. While trying to adapt to a new team, his season was disrupted by injuries and personal circumstances, making it difficult for him to get any consistency going.
He did contribute two goals and an assist in six playoff games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 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.
Perron showed some improvement in his second season, putting up 25 points in 49 games. However, his lingering sports hernia eventually required surgery in January, bringing his time with the Sens to an end.
The Senators traded Perron back to Detroit at the deadline in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick (goalie Elliot Lennon). His return to the Red Wings wasn't particularly productive either. Perron registered just three goals and no assists in 16 games.
At this stage of his long career, Dallas certainly won't be expecting Perron to produce the kind of numbers he did during his prime.
But after 19 seasons, more than 1,200 games, and a Stanley Cup championship, signing on for a 20th NHL season is an achievement in itself.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News