Edmonton Oilers are ‘authentic candidate’ to sign free agent Corey Perry

When it comes to the Edmonton Oilers and the chances of signing free-agent winger Corey Perry, they could be right near the top of the list.

Fit will be of utmost importance for Perry, who will undoubtedly be looking to join a club with Stanley Cup aspirations, and there may be few better fits than in Edmonton. For starters, the chance to play alongside the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl isn’t an opportunity afforded to many. Secondly, they have real aspirations of winning a cup this season.

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn gives them an 11 percent chance of doing so, the second-best odds in the league. MoneyPuck gives them a 5.7 percent chance, the eighth-best, while Betway’s +1000 odds on them winning the Cup carries implied odds of 9.09 percent.

So it should be no surprise that the Oilers, chaulked full of talent and riding high, winning 17 of their last 20 games, are an “authentic candidate” to sign Perry, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said on the Thursday edition of Oilersnation every day.

“I have zero doubt that, like zero, that someone signs him,” said Seravalli. “I think the Oilers are an authentic candidate. I think when you consider their roster and how, for whatever reason, going back to even the (Jesse) Puljujarvi days, the right side of their lineup has always been slightly thin.

“And I think that part makes a ton of sense. I think there’s also an element to Corey Perry that would be really valuable to the Oilers, in addition to his game, which has defied father time. He (was) on track for 50-some points this year and 20 goals, or thereabout. Still a talented play, someone that has had lots of playoff success, three-straight Stanley Cup finals, all losing efforts, right around the COVID years, and of course won one to start his career with the Anaheim Ducks.

“He’s just someone that oozes competitiveness, and I think that’s one thing at times, from a consistent standpoint — I’m not talking about the stars — but I’m talking about the bottom-six. I’d like to see just a little something different that someone brings to the table.”

Undoubtedly, Perry would bring something to the table. He’s got the moxie, so they say, and as I looked at yesterday, the Oilers have the cap space — however slim it may be — to make a deal happen. While going league minimum is the ideal $775,000 for the Oilers, they could fit him under $957,833.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.