Blues' Perron: 'It would have been a dream' to play for Canadiens

Home is where the heart is.

Presented with the opportunity to sign with the Montreal Canadiens, forward David Perron ultimately decided to return to the St. Louis Blues as an unrestricted free agent, agreeing to a two-year, $7.5-million contract.

However, it wasn't the easiest decision to make.

"It would have been a dream to play (in Montreal), but St. Louis is really a place that’s close to my heart," Perron told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I really missed playing in the city and I wanted to get another shot and hopefully make the best of it this time."

Perron was drafted 26th overall by the Blues in 2007, and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2013 amid reports he didn't fit with head coach Ken Hitchcock's system and in the locker room.

Hitchcock liked what he saw out of Perron during his brief time with the Anaheim Ducks, and pushed general manager Doug Armstrong to bring the forward back.

"I saw a guy that was a really good player there for Anaheim, very effective," Hitchcock said. "He was one of the guys getting a lot of scoring chances in that series against Nashville. I said, 'Whoever gets this guy on the next go, he’s going to get a real good player.'"

The coach's endorsement was not lost on Perron, and helped tip the scales in St. Louis' favor.

"I think what I was really happy about is how much (Hitchcock) pushed to get me. With all the rumors that were out there, it just kind of proves that everyone was wrong, and I’m happy about that."

Perron, 28, is averaging 20 goals for every 82 games played over the course of his career.