Oilers trade David Perron to Penguins for 2015 first-round pick

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward David Perron from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2015 first-round pick.

The ball continues to roll in Edmonton.

It is being reported that the Edmonton Oilers have traded forward David Perron to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in the 2015 NHL entry draft.

It was being rumored for awhile that Edmonton has been shopping David Perron. Actually, it was being rumored that Edmonton was shopping pretty much everyone, but specifically David Perron and Jordan Eberle. Now, it seems the former has finally been moved.

The Oilers are trying to figure out exactly in what direction they want to go. One part of that is to find out which players they want around to be part of the solution, and which players they wish to move on without. The trade indicates Perron fell in the category of a piece that they want to move on without.

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Perron is on the final two years of a four-year, $15.25 million ($3,812,500 average) contract he signed in 2012 as a free agent with the Oilers. He was previously with the St. Louis Blues before that after he broke into the league in 2007.

Perron, 26, appeared in 116 games with the Oilers, registering 33 goals and 43 assists for 76 points. His best season came in 2013-14 with the Oilers, when he scored 28 goals and 57 points, both totals being career highs. During his time with the Blues, he was a two-time 20-goal scorer and hit the 40 point mark four times in five seasons. He also added 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points in 19 playoff games, all of which were with the Blues.

It’s a good move for both clubs. It will push the Penguins just under the cap ceiling, but it will give them the depth that they desperately need. Outside of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the top six forwards, they Penguins don’t have the kind of depth that they have in the past. They have been lacking in depth even more so due to injuries and illnesses. So, by bringing in Perron they’re getting a guy who has experience and has a good amount of skill that he can produce right away. Especially if he has the likes of Crosby or Malkin centering him.

For Edmonton, they will get an additional first-round pick in this year’s draft to go along with their (most likely) top 5 pick that they will already hold. It is supposed to be somewhat of a deep draft this year, so they could come away with another very good player with the Penguins pick. Hopefully they use the pick wisely and actually draft what they need this time, rather than just pick the flashy player that they are so accustomed to selecting.

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