With the season now well underway, teams have to begin deciding soon whether they will buy at the trade deadline and attempt to contend or if they will be sellers and not contend this season. One team that knows what they’ll try to do at the trade deadline is the Edmonton Oilers who have turned their season around after an awful start to the 2023-24 campaign, which is buy. With a coaching change and sending down Jack Campbell, the Oilers have turned a 3-9-1 start into a potentially deep playoff run based on how they’ve been playing recently, having won their last nine games in a row.
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With the Oilers on a nice hot streak, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they began looking around the NHL for players who would be a nice improvement to their roster and help them make a run at a Stanley Cup. Last season, they acquired both Nick Bjugstad and Mattias Ekholm via trade in hopes of bolstering their roster heading into the postseason and they both were able to provide a lot to the team. Bjugstad chose to leave and go back to the Arizona Coyotes while the Oilers still have Ekholm for three more seasons. Now, there are different options for the Oilers on the table and one of them may not be a trade piece.
Corey Perry was recently given the blessing from Gary Bettman to resume playing in the NHL after an incident with the Chicago Blackhawks led to his contract being terminated by the team. He is likely going to take some time before he decides where he is going to play next, but the Oilers should pursue him heavily. He is the perfect fit for their bottom six and would likely sign for cheaper than what he signed with the Blackhawks for originally.
Who Is Corey Perry & How Would He Help The Oilers?
Perry is currently an unrestricted free agent after being released by the Blackhawks. He is a 38-year-old forward from New Liskeard, Ontario who was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who are now the Anaheim Ducks, in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at 28th overall after a strong season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights where he scored 25 goals and added 53 assists for 78 points through 67 games. He returned to the Knights the following season to continue developing for the 2003-04 campaign.
During the 2003-04 season, Perry scored 40 goals and added 73 assists for 113 points through 66 games and quickly began to earn a reputation as a potential offensive powerhouse if he was able to transfer his scoring ability to the NHL level. He was named an alternate captain of the Knights in the 2004-05 season and had an even better campaign scoring 47 goals and adding 83 assists for 130 points through 60 games. In the same season, he represented Canada at the U20 World Junior Championship scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points through six games.
Perry got his first taste of NHL action in the 2005-06 season with the Ducks where he scored 13 goals and added 12 assists for 25 points through 56 games, but he also spent some time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Portland Pirates where he scored 16 goals and added 18 assists for 34 points through 19 games. Perry earned his spot in the NHL the following season and didn’t lose it again.
From 2006-2019, Perry spent his career with the Ducks where he became a fan favourite and won a Stanley Cup. He would go on to play with the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning before joining the Blackhawks on a one-year deal. Over the course of his NHL career, Perry has scored 421 goals and added 471 assists for 892 points through 1,273 games over parts of 19 seasons.
So how would Perry help the Oilers? Well when you take a look at their lineup right now, it’s clear there’s no real stability in their bottom six and they haven’t found anything that works too well. While they have all been playing well and there isn’t really anything to complain about, it would be nice if there was a bit more physicality and offensive production from them and Perry could provide that if he’s added into the mix.
With Dylan Holloway ready to return from injury, signing Perry and having them play together on the third line could give him the confidence he needs to finally break out. Having a veteran like Perry who he can lean on and learn from while watching him dominate with his power-forward style could be extremely beneficial for him and the rest of the roster. He also has a Stanley Cup under his belt, so he knows what it takes to win and could help boost the team’s confidence and morale.
Will The Oilers Sign Him?
There will be several teams interested in Perry other than the Oilers. Teams that are planning to contend could make sense for him and could make signing him a bit trickier. While it would make sense for him to sign for less money and accept a deal to push for the postseason rather than focusing on getting paid, he may drive up his own price with more than just one team pursuing him. Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes all come to mind as potential fits, but time will tell who makes an offer.
The Oilers are back on track this season and are hoping to keep it that way. They are hoping to turn their nine-game winning streak into ten which would break a franchise record. Hopefully, they can build off of this momentum and climb their way to the top of the Pacific Division standings before the end of the season.