The Edmonton Oilers traded winger David Perron to the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday in exchange for centre Rob Klinkhammer and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
In 38 games this season, Perron registered five goals, 14 assists, 20 penalty minutes and a minus-17 rating. There had been reports the Oilers were considering dealing Perron dating back to November. Perron’s current contract, which comes with a salary cap hit of $3.8125 million, expires at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.
The move comes less than one season removed from the 26-year-old setting career highs in goals (28) and points (57) in his first year with the Oilers. Perron was acquired by the Oilers in July 2013 from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Magnus Paajarvi and a 2014 second-round pick after spending his first six NHL seasons with the Blues. In 456 career games, the Sherbrooke Que., native has 117 goals and 274 points.
Perron told reporters he won’t be suiting up for the Penguins Friday when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Oilers visit the Colorado Avalanche Friday and fans can watch the game on Sportsnet West starting at 7 p.m. MST (NHL Regional Restrictions Apply).
This is the second time in the last month that Klinkhammer has been traded. The Lethbridge, Alta., native notched three goals in 19 games with the Arizona Coyotes before being dealt to the Penguins on Dec. 5 for defenceman Philip Samuelsson and a conditional pick in the 2016 draft; the undrafted forward added a goal and two assists in 10 games with the Penguins. The 28-year-old has a cap hit of $625,000 and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
In other Oilers news, the team assigned Steve Pinizzotto to the Oklahoma City Barons in the American Hockey League and removed Benoit Pouliot from the injured reserve list.
As of Friday, the Oilers sit dead last in the standings with the Penguins tied for first in the Metropolitan Division.
Although the Penguins aren’t short on fire power, but the addition of Perron boosts Pittsburgh’s forward group that’s missing productive wingers Patric Hornqvist and Pascal Dupuis. Hornqvist is week-to-week dealing with a lower-body injury, while Dupuis is likely out for the remainder of the season with a blood clot in his lung.
