David Perron is a goal scoring winger in decline and may be open to a cheap deal to prove that he can still be effective in the middle six, or maybe even the top six. Given his numbers and the players he’s been sharing the ice with however, it’s more likely that he’s headed towards the bottom six than the top.

That said, Perron has some solid possession numbers on the surface and is physical enough that he should be able to transition into a bottom six role as he ages. So does he make sense for the Canucks at this point? Read on to find out.

Perron’s HERO chart pegs him as a first line scoring winger, and with the right linemates on certain teams, that might be a decent fit for him. But his production over the last three years has been on the border of the second and third lines – solidly middle six.

Just look at this past season. In 71 games, Perron put up some fairly underwhelming numbers: 12 goals and 24 assists, split between Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Granted, his rate of production improved when he got the west coast, and he only average about 15 minutes per night. A cursory glance as his linemates, however, will leave you scratching your head. The four forwards that Perron shared the ice with most often this season were, in order, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Ryan Getzlaf, and Sidney Crosby. With the exception of Getzlaf, every one of those players had a far better Goals-for per 60 minutes (GF60) while away from Perron compared to with him (according to stats.hockeyanalysis.com).

While his production numbers have been iffy, his possession numbers have been solid over the past few seasons. Unsurprisingly, he’s seen improvement in that area since leaving the Oilers, and we’ve already covered the players that he’s spent time with since then. Perron has obviously benefited from playing with players like Crosby, Malkin and Getzlaf, as well as Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang.

(Source: Corsica.hockey; 2013-2016)

Still Perron has been an positive possession in every season except for the full season he spent in Edmonton, and even then he was in the black in terms of relative numbers.

(Source: TSN.ca)

Perron has never been a big point producer. His best season was his first campaign in Edmonton in 2013-14 when he exploded for 28 goals and 57 points. Since then he’s rocketed back to Earth and has failed to hit 20 goals in the two seasons since, getting further away each time. It’s quite clear that Perron, who recently turned 28, is well into a decline.

Perron is a creative puck handler and a creative offensive player. He can be a finisher and a playmaker and can hold his own on either wing. He has a gritty side to his game and can be a bit of an agitator. He’s averaged at or over two hits per game in each of his last two seasons, demonstrating that he certainly isn’t adverse to throwing his weight around. Those hit totals are higher than he’s dished out earlier in his career, and they’ve coincided with a decline in production. Of course, that could indicate that he’s transitioning his game to more of a middle six, or even bottom six role, as his skill begins to fade.

Injuries have often been a problem for Perron, although less so in recent years than in his early guys. Over the past few courses, Perron has missed about a dozen games as a result of injuries (split between shoulder problems and a strained neck). Back in 2010-11 and 2011-12 however, Perron missed nearly 100 games due to post-concussion symptoms. Those issues seem to be behind him now, but they’re always worth keeping an eye on.

In terms of a fit with the Canucks, Perron would be squeezing into the smorgasbord of a middle six that Vancouver is already offering up. I had similar feelings when I wrote about fellow Oilers cast off Teddy Purcell – I think that Canucks are better off chasing a top six winger and bumping everyone down a rung rather than throwing another middle six guy into the pile.

If there was to be some interest, the bright side is that Perron is certainly going to be cheaper than the likes of a Lucic or an Eriksson. Sure, he’s coming off of a deal with an annual average value of $3.8 million, and he made $4.5 million in salary last season, but he’s performing at a level well below that – he’s certainly not in line for a raise. Something in the mid 2’s would be more appropriate, and the term shouldn’t be too bad either. He’s coming off of a down year, in which he played with extremely talented players. He’ll probably be in the market for a “prove it” contract more than anything.

I don’t see a fit here, unless the Canucks really want to add an extra depth piece on the cheap. Even then, the cost and term would have to be real low for the deal to make sense on Vancouver’s end. Perron would just be occupying a spot that they want some of their younger players to be fighting for. Just to keep banging the same drum, if I’m the Canucks, I’m looking to sign one of the big fish, not another medium one. Pass.