BURROWS GIVING SENS PROSPECT AN ASSIST
Francis Perron gets some mentoring during summertime training sessions with veteran
Trading a top prospect for Alex Burrows last season might ultimately pay dividends the Senators never counted on at the time.
It could indirectly end up putting another top scoring forward in their lineup.
GM Pierre Dorion mentioned earlier this week that he expects Burrows — who had six goals and 11 points in 20 regular season games, then five assists in 15 playoff games — to take on more of a leadership role in 2017-18. He said Burrows, who was acquired for second-round pick Jonathan Dahlen, would feel more comfortable with his place in the room, much like previous mid-season scoop Dion Phaneuf did when he was able to arrive at training camp as a Senator.
What he didn’t mention was Burrows had in fact been working at that leadership role this summer. What he didn’t include was the influence he has already had on Francis Perron.
Skinny as a rake in his draft year, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies left-winger fell to the seventh round, where the Senators took a flyer on him with the 190th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft. Why not? Perron had already displayed an impressive skill set. At that point, he was worth a gamble.
The following season, Perron scored 29 goals and 76 points in 64 games. As it turns out, he was just warming up. In his last year as a junior, he had 41 goals and 108 points in 62 regular-season games to claim the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP, then added 12 goals and 33 points in 18 games to also grab the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP.
Preparing for his first year as a pro, Perron told Postmedia he was determined to arrive in Binghamton both bigger and stronger. It would be easier said than done. Without much of a change in his physical stature, he had just six goals and 20 assists in 68 games for the B-Sens.
At last May’s exit meetings, B-Sens GM Randy Lee suggested Perron change off-season trainers and work with Stephane Dube in Boisbriand, about an hour outside of Laval.
Lee knew that’s where Burrows spends his summers as well.
“I was training with him, I was seeing him every day, he was helping me a lot in the gym,” Perron said at Senators rookie camp Friday. “Like he mentioned, he’s an undrafted guy and he worked really hard to get to where he is right now. He’s been a mentor for me, he helped me through the whole summer. So it was a big difference for me.
“It’s kind of weird,” added Perron, “he’s 15 years older than me, but still, he’s become a good friend to me.”
Perron turned heads when prospects went through physicals this week. He had surprisingly high scores in strength tests. And with the help of Senators nutrition consultant Molly Morgan, he was finally able to add some beef.
“I took almost 15 pounds during the summer,” said the 21-year old. “That’s huge for me, because last year I was 165, and it wasn’t so easy in the American Hockey League with the big guys. I think it’s going to help me a lot, physically, but it’s in my head. My confidence is going to be way better.”
Perron admitted that confidence took a hit during the season, when for the first time in his life he couldn’t put the puck in the net with regularity.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “I wasn’t used to being off the scoresheet for 10, 15 games. I was talking a lot with my family. My dad and my brother helped me a lot through this. Even the older guys last year — (Mike) Kostka, (Phil) Varone, those guys helped me a lot through the year, mentally, to help me stay focused and keep working hard.”
Perron does see some good that emerged from the ashes, just as he understands the growing pains of being a first-year pro he had to endure.
“It was different, obviously,” he said. “I got there and had a good start, then some guys were coming back from Ottawa, so I just moved down lines. Then I think the confidence wasn’t really there. I was not getting the ice time I expected.
“I think it was good. At the end of the season I took a step back and I looked at it, and I was like, I improved a lot, my defensive game.
“I was taking better decisions with the puck in the defensive zone. I was not producing a lot offensively, but I think it’s going to come with time.
“This year, I’ll probably be getting a bigger role, maybe an offensive role, so I think I improved a lot of things last year even though I didn’t produce a lot.”
This year, expect Perron to start putting up the points again. If someday he reaches his goal and starts doing the same for Ottawa, Burrows will deserve the assist. dbrennan@postmedia.com