Edmonton Oilers sign Corey Perry to one-year deal

It’s official: Corey Perry is an Edmonton Oiler.

After rumours swirled over the weekend that both sides were nearing an agreement on a contract, the club announced Monday morning he officially signed his contract.

The deal will run through the remainder of this season, carrying an AAV of $775,000, the league minimum, as well as performance bonuses. Salary cap resource website CapFriendly was the first to report the details of the three bonuses Perry could earn.

The first is a $225,000 bonus for when he played 10 games with the club, and the second sees him eligible to earn a $50,000 bonus if the Oilers win the second round of the playoffs, and Perry either plays in 50 percent of those games, or 50 percent of the total games between the first and second round. The third bonus, according to CapFriendly, will see Perry earn an additional $50,000 if the Oilers win the third round of the playoffs, and he plays in 50 percent of those games, or 50 percent of games from the first three rounds.

Perry, 38, appeared in 16 games earlier this season with the Chicago Blackhawks but had his contract terminated in November after an alleged “alcohol-fueled incident” occurred at a team function. The veteran winger was never officially suspended by the NHL, and following the incident, he issued a statement saying he “started working with experts in the mental health and substance abuse fields to discuss my struggles with alcohol, and I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.”

Despite not being suspended, Perry met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman over a week ago hoping to “clear the air,” Daily Faceoff’s Frank Servalli said at the time, while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added clubs “would be wary of signing him unless the league gave its blessing.”

That leads us to where we are today, with Perry putting pen to paper on a contract allowing the Oilers to maintain roster flexibility. Perry is expected to be on the ice with the team at practice Monday, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reported.

On the ice, Perry’s long been a strong contributor. Between 2017-18 and 2020-21, he contributed at a third-line rate, according to hockeyviz.com, while over the past three years, his contributions have mirrored that of a borderline first-line player. And over those past three seasons, he’s scored 74 points in 179 games, a 34-point per 82-game pace. Not bad.

On top of it all, Perry brings with him a wealth of playoff experience. His 196 postseason games are the most among all active players, and 22nd overall, just four games behind former Oilers forward Jari Kurri.

A subsequent roster move will be needed from the Oilers in order to fit Perry under the salary cap, and that could come in the form of placing a player on waivers at 12 p.m. today.

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.