Senators’ David Perron set to return following 27-game absence due to back injury
Veteran forward David Perron will return to the Ottawa Senators‘ lineup Thursday versus the Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins following a 27-game absence due to a back injury, reports Julian McKenzie of The Athletic.
“It’s good to have him back. He’s been out for a while now,” Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters. “Veteran leadership, obviously. Good hockey player. It will be nice to have him back in the lineup.”
Sidelined since mid-November, Perron has been limited to nine appearances this season in which he has been held pointless while posting 25 shots and a minus-four rating. The 36-year-old Sherbrooke, Que., native joined the Senators this past offseason, agreeing to a two-year, $4-million annual average value deal in unrestricted free agency, per PuckPedia.
A veteran of 1,140 career contests counting stops with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Detroit Red Wings, Senators, plus three separate stints with the St. Louis Blues, Perron has collected 310 goals and 458 assists for 768 career points. Originally chosen 26th overall by the Blues in the 2007 NHL Draft, Perron hoisted the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019, putting up 16 points through 26 postseason appearances en route to the championship.
Perron rejoins a Senators squad in the midst of the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference. On the season, the Senators have put together a record of 24-19-4 and 52 points to hold down the second wildcard spot, just ahead of the rival Montreal Canadiens due to a tie-breaker. The Senators have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017, the NHL’s third-longest playoff drought behind the Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres.
To create a spot for Perron on its 23-man roster, Ottawa made a corresponding roster move Thursday, adding goaltender Linus Ullmark to the long-term injured reserve. To note, as Ullmark has already fulfilled the 10-game and 24-day parameters of LTIR, he is eligible to return to the lineup once deemed healthy.