The Edmonton Oilers are adding a major player into their bottom six, Corey Perry is heading to Edmonton.
ESPN reported that Perry was signing a one-year deal to finish the season in Edmonton on Jan. 21. The contract is expected to be for the league minimum with performance bonuses built in.
Perry, 38, has not played since November as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago terminated his contract after an internal investigation found that Perry violated club policies.
After the termination, Perry apologized through a statement and said he was entering professional treatment for alcohol abuse and mental health. In 16 games with the Blackhawks Perry had four goals and nine points. In a short time he became a very big part of the Blackhawks leadership group, even serving as an assistant captain.
Perry is just a few years away from putting up 40 points for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2021-22 season. He is someone who always shows up to play in big moments, going to three straight Stanley Cup Finals with the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.
The Edmonton Oilers get a little more depth by adding Corey Perry.
The Edmonton Oilers are currently riding a 13 game win streak. After starting the season poorly, Edmonton has turned things around, and now they get a little deeper with Perry in the bottom six.
While Corey Perry is not going to provide the Oilers much speed, he is going to provide a little more grit into the bottom six. Championship teams have role players on their roster, and Perry gives the Oilers just that.
With his size and physicality, Edmonton's bottom six should be more capable at making an impact on the game.
Corey Perry has played in 196 playoff games over with four different teams. He won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks.