Pittsburgh Penguins: The 5 Worst Contracts Heading Into the Offseason
By Will Tomer
Feb 6, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing David Perron (39) skates against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Pittsburgh Penguins won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
3. David Perron
Like all the other players on this list, I would love to see David Perron prove me wrong. But until further notice, the addition of Perron to the Penguins roster has been a bust.
Received after the team transferred their first round pick to the Edmonton Oilers, Perron managed to tally 22 points over the course of 43 games for the Penguins in 2015. This may not sound to terrible at face-value, but when you take into account that he scored 13 of those 22 points during his first month and a half with the team and only managed one two-point game after the beginning February, the questions begin to mount.
In the playoffs, he only mustered one assist in five games. Had he performed up to the expectations established of him, he could have helped to propel the team over the New York Rangers, who defeated them by one goal in every single game. Instead, when you factor in the fact that he managed one assist in the final 13 games of the regular season, he became one of the major reasons for the team’s disappointing finish.
Although there is only one year left on his contract, Perron will be making $4.5 million. This is why he ranks higher than Lovejoy. The number of depth players who could be added to the team with that money should not be underestimated. For instance, assuming that current free agents would be taking a relatively similar cap hit to the one they had last season, the Penguins could add defenseman Michael Del Zotto ($1.3 million) and winger Marcus Johansson ($2 million) and still have money left over.
There is a good chance that the 26-year-old Perron was simply experiencing the pinch of playing on an injury-riddled Penguins roster. However, given his cap hit and what the Penguins gave up to receive him, it is not unreasonable to expect more from him. His contract will be a limitation on the team until further notice.