Speaking with a beat writer of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chris Krenn, this morning, veteran forward Corey Perry states that he aims at playing next season, which would be his 19th season in the NHL. When asked about his immediate future, Perry said, “I’ve still got more in me. I still want to play. We’ll see where it goes over the next few weeks and then take it from there.”
In 2003, Perry was originally selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at 28th overall and would go on to be one of 17 players from the first round to go on to make an appearance in at least one NHL All-Star Game. In his draft season, Perry played in the OHL for the historic London Knights team, scoring 25 goals and 53 assists in 67 games. Not joining the Mighty Ducks until the 2005-06 season, Perry finished his CHL career with 253 games played, scoring 140 goals and 240 assists.
As the Mighty Ducks officially transitioned into the Anaheim Ducks during the 2006-07 season, Perry helped considerably in the Ducks’ path to the Stanley Cup Final. In 21 games played in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, Perry scored six goals and nine assists as the Ducks won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
A few years later, Perry would become one of the best players in the NHL, scoring 50 goals and 48 assists in the 2010-11 season, winning both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Maurice Richard Trophy. Because of his offensive explosion, the Ducks would reward Perry with an 8-year, $69 million contract extension through the 2020-21 season.
Unfortunately for both him and the Ducks, Perry would only play six out of eight years of that contract, as he was bought out at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. Throughout the next several years, Perry would play on one-year contracts, playing for the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens in 2020 and 2021, respectively, helping both teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Having lost the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Perry decided to join Tampa Bay, signing a 2-year, $2 million contract before the 2021-22 season. In potentially his last season for the Lightning, Perry scored 13 goals and 15 assists but also held a rating of -28 while on the ice.
As Perry has already entered the twilight years of his career, he can still provide a bit of depth scoring for any team across the league. Being in the hunt for the Stanley Cup for seemingly the last four seasons, Perry will likely look to join a team that is firmly on the cusp of raising the trophy at the end of the season.
Trono? or Edmonton?
In his prime Perry was a favorite player of mine but now at nearly 40 years old it’s time to walk away, To many professional athletes just can’t let go.
Who are you to determine if he should walk away or not?
Wilf, if you ever opted to pay attention, you would certainly quit making at least some of your uninformed, babbling posts. Not all, but some. The guy can still play, contributed in Tampa and wants to stay in his chosen line of work.
I’m a Perry fan but the game has changed and he’s not fast enough to keep up with it. Sorry Corey, but leave the game on your own terms.
Uh, Peter, he is choosing to leave the game on his terms when he is ready. He is still a contributing player and has chosen to continue playing. Simple concept. Shocking that it flew right over your melon.
Tronna or a one year w/Ana and dealt at the deadline.
Back to the Bolts on a 1 year at the NHL min.
It’s apparent his play has fallen off from career heights and while his production is solid for a 4th liner, how can anyone trust this guy on the ice? Although +/- is a flawed statistic when isolated, he was a minus-28 on this Tampa team. That’s not a guy who helps make your team better.
The management and coaching staff in Tampa trusted him. Although, had you made this post previously and they had seen it, they would have undoubtedly cut him.