Edmonton Oilers sign Corey Perry to one-year contract for $1.4 million

The Edmonton Oilers announced via their social media channels that they have signed Corey Perry to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million. The future Hall of Famer is back for another tour of duty.

The Edmonton Oilers are bringing back veteran forward Corey Perry to another one-year contract, a not-so-surpring move that was telegraphed by many Edmonton media members over the last handful of days. Perry, a seasoned winger known for his scoring touch and physical play, obviously isn’t the same player he once was but the Oilers clearly valued the intangibles he brings to the roster.

Perry, 39, appeared in 38 regular season games with the Oilers and 17 more in the playoffs, registering nine goals and 18 points combined. While he didn’t necessarily have the big playoff impact Oilers fans were hoping to see — he scored the game winner in Game 5 against Florida, to be fair — Perry clearly did enough in the team’s eyes to merit a second contract with the franchise. Perry originally came to Edmonton after his contract was terminated by the Blackhawks back in November after an alleged “alcohol-fuelled incident” occurred at a team function.

Perry’s new deal comes as the Oilers look to make adjustments with limited cap space, as they aim to build upon what was their best season since 2006. In bringing Perry back for a second tour of duty, the veteran forward will be expected to provide depth scoring and a veteran presence whether he’s in the lineup or not. What will be interesting to see in time is how much the Oilers will play the veteran, given that he was a healthy more than a handful of times during their playoff run.

Perry offered a memorable quote down the playoff stretch and one that fits in line with what his likely role will be going forward:

“You check your ego at the door, and it doesn’t matter where you play, how much you play, as long as it’s who’s winning. That’s all that matters when playoffs come around.” He added, “When playoffs come, when push comes to shove, it doesn’t matter who’s out there, as long as they’re getting the job done.”

A two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada (2010, 2014), the Peterborough, Ontario native has had a distinguished career, highlighted by winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer in the 2010-2011 season. Over his 19-year NHL career, Perry has amassed 429 goals and 476 assists for 905 points in 1,311 regular-season games.