Steve Yzerman's biggest mistake of the 2024-25 season was in the loss of one specific player

One of the summer decisions from Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was not to bring back veteran forward David Perron, who had just completed a 2-year contract and was one of the top voices in the dressing room.

A veteran leader with Stanley Cup experience, Perron also helped boost Detroit's offense and was a key figure on the power play.

But after he wasn't extended by Detroit, he took an offer he couldn't refuse from the divisional foe Ottawa Senators; they gave him a 2 year, $8 million deal with an AAV (average annual value) of $4 million.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings signed Vladimir Tarasenko over the summer, the former teammate of Perron with the St. Louis Blues; his 1st year with Detroit was a disaster, scoring only 33 points (11G, 22A) and falling considerably short of expectations.

While Perron missed most of his 1st year with the Senators because of injury and a personal family matter, he played down the stretch and helped the Senators secure their 1st berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017.

Adding insult to injury was his pair of goals against the Red Wings on March 10 and March 27; Ottawa won both games by a single goal in regulation, helping to do considerable damage to Detroit's postseason hopes.

Perron also scored for the Senators in last night's Game 4 in the Battle of Ontario, helping the Senators avoid being eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and force Game 5.

As Perron and the Senators made it back to the playoffs before the Red Wings did, just how much could his offensive touch and his vocal leadership have helped Detroit?