Yeah it's weird. I mean I get it with Sid-Kessel. You don't necessarily put your next most offensively talented guy with them. I certainly wouldn't not try it though, which is what this team seems to do.
That said, with Malkin-Hornqvist, Perron to me seems like the obvious best fit. Plots, IMO, at least projects to be too similar of a player to Hornqvist and I think Bonino-Bennett could be a really good combo (and Beau is better on right wing).
I think the views on Perron on this board is one of the weirder things I've seen in my time here. A lot of posters really don't like the guy based on a pretty small sample size.
Crosby-Kessel is more about fit than having the 2nd best winger there, and the Malkin-Hornqvist pairing should have precedence on getting a skilled guy on the other side. I wouldn't say no to Perron on the other side, but PMH should be a better use. I've listed why I'd try Bennett opposite Kessel and not Hornqvist, I'd try him in the top 6 before putting him with Bonino because getting the top 6 settled is more important. If that doesn't work Bennett on the 3rd line is good, that's pretty much my view that spot in general. Try Bennett there, try Plotnikov, try whoever, if it doesn't work put them in the bottom 6 and you still have Kunitz and Dupuis hanging around.
X-Crosby-Kessel
X-Malkin-Hornqvist
X=Perron, Bennett, Plotnikov
Cycle through starting with Perron with MH. But that won't happen, Kunitz's sad face is heartbreaking.
The board has gone insane, though.
Perron thing isn't that weird TBTH. Go look at the circle jerk on this board for Perron when he was doing well, and BB his rookie year. It's what fans do, they turn on guys when things aren't going well. I even heard people on the radio asking for Crosby to be stripped of his C a couple of years ago.
Now Perron sucks. BB is Boo Boo Beau Bust and I read on here he is one of the top 5% worst skaters in the NHL (where do people come up with this BS?).
I'm pretty sure that's happened on the board, too.
Perron is weird because in contrast we have the "Kunitz will have a bounceback year and deserve his 1LW spot" contingent, that's what is making it truly weird. Kuntiz and Dupuis will be great in the top 6, but that 27 year old is a failure that won't be better and he needs to go. Very weird. We needed top 6 wingers, we needed to get younger, we needed more skill... ditch that and go back to Kunitz and Dupuis!
This place has a lot more in common with the things people here like to look down on than anyone wants to admit; more in common with Bylsma and Shero, too. Not everyone but enough people to be weird af, and I'm not the perfect poster but good lord.