Perron excited to get started with new-look Senators
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Veteran forward David Perron is one of a collection of new faces added to the Ottawa Senators lineup over the summer, as the team seeks its first postseason berth in eight seasons.
Now entering his 18th season in the NHL, Perron knows what to expect of himself and how to help guide the team to success this year.
"I want to be a leader for sure," Perron told TSN1200 on Tuesday morning.
"As games get a little more important, a little bigger, that's usually when I come in more, I like to make a difference in those moments even more."
Perron scored 17 goals and totaled 47 points in 76 games a season ago with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Senators also added forwards Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins through free agency and acquired defenceman Nick Jensen and goaltender Linus Ullmark through trades over the off-season.
Perhaps the biggest change for the franchise, though, is the new head coach Travis Green, who joins the team after ending last season as the interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
"He's pretty open about how hard training camp will be, I think he's trying to get everyone's attention to make sure we start right away," Perron said of his new head coach.
"I think he's so tough that at the end of the day he's going to be hard but fair," Perron said. "You don't want to be too worried about it, all you want to do is come in with the right attitude, the right mentality and work as hard as you can and I think that's what he's looking for as well."
Green also served as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2017-22, leading them to the second round of the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
"I strongly believe I'm a much better coach today than I was six years ago when I first started in Vancouver," Green told reporters at the end of August.
As far as a potential role in the Senators lineup, Perron hasn't set expectations in any particular direction before training camp.
"I want to come in with an open mind. [Green] mentioned a few times [whether I'd prefer to play] the right side or left side, and I'm comfortable playing both," Perron said.
"I think there's so many good players on this team I'm coming in at my age with an open mind and seeing where I'm going to fall and probably build from there."
At 37-41-4, Ottawa finished ahead of only six teams in the standings a year ago.