from Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

So the Blues weren’t on his radar screen. After all, they had played a “heavy” game the previous few seasons while emulating the Stanley Cup-winning Los Angeles Kings.

“When the Blues called — they were the first team to call — I was kind of shocked a little bit and happy because I always liked it here,” said Perron, who wore the Note from 2007-2013 before playing in Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Anaheim.

Perron’s return, the hiring of Mike Yeo as coach in waiting and the pursuit of wayward son Vladimir Sobotka were part of the stylistic overhaul general manager Doug Armstrong envisioned for his team.

This shift to a faster tempo sets up a fascinating season as the Blues transition from coach Ken Hitchcock to Yeo, from departed captain David Backes to new captain Alex Pietrangelo and from the steady netminding of Brian Elliott to the aggressive goaltending of Jake Allen.

Veteran hit men Troy Brouwer and Steve Ott are gone, along with the bulldozing Backes. Tenacious forwards Perron, Jaden Schwartz, Robby Fabbri and perhaps Ty Rattie will assume bigger roles.

“I love the way this team plays,” Perron said. “I think I’ve played my best hockey when I play that kind of style.”

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