Welcome to my annual player review series, where I dive into the Edmonton Oilers season player-by-player. We’ll look back at the season that was, what kind of impact each player had, and what we could see from them next season. You can read about the analytics behind my analysis here.
If Corey Perry’s career were a golf course, he’d be walking down the 18th fairway right about now.
It’s been a long, storied career for the 2003 draft’s 28th overall pick, winning about as much as one can throughout his playing career. His most recent stop has found himself in Edmonton, signing with the team as a free agent in January after having his previous contract with the Chicago Blackhawks terminated.
After appearing in 38 games in the regular season and 19 in the playoffs, the Oilers re-signed the veteran winger this summer to a one-year deal worth $1.15 million.
He tallied eight goals and 13 points, six and 11 of which came at 5v5. With him on the ice, the Oilers fared well, punching above league average in all of the key underlying metrics, with an even 100 PDO to boot. He’s not the big, scoring winger he once was, but Perry found a way to contribute during the regular season, with above-average scoring rates.
At this point in his career, Perry is not a special teams contributor, but what he brought to the team was something much more than just an ability to contribute on the ice: he’s a leader off of it. That’s a big reason the Oilers brought him to Edmonton in the first place and why they’re bringing him back for another tour, hoping he can win another Stanley Cup ring before his playing days are over.
During the Stanley Cup Finals this past year, Perry relished another chase.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This is why we play the game of hockey, it’s what we grow up playing for,” he told me. “It’s a tough trophy to win. It takes a lot of work, and sacrifice, and I think these guys are willing to do that.”
Perry is unlikely to be a major contributor on the ice for the Oilers, and in another year where the team hopes to go on a deep run playing over 100 games like last, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him play in around half of those games. His biggest issue right now is that his footspeed started to lack the longer the season went on, and with some young, new players coming into Edmonton in Matthew Savoie, Roby Jarventie and Vasily Podkolzin, all of whom can challenge for NHL minutes this year, Perry may find himself on the outside looking in of the lineup.

COREY PERRY’S CAREER SO FAR

Regular SeasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLgeGPGAPtsPIM+/-GPGAPtsPIM
2000-01
Peterborough Bees
OPJHL
2
1
0
1
0
2001-02
London Knights
OHL
60
28
31
59
56
10
12
2
3
5
30
2002-03
London Knights
OHL
67
25
53
78
145
6
14
7
16
23
27
2003-04
London Knights
OHL
66
40
73
113
98
38
15
7
15
22
20
2003-04
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
AHL
3
1
1
2
4
2004-05
London Knights 🏆
OHL
60
47
83
130
117
66
18
11
27
38
46
2005-06
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
NHL
56
13
12
25
50
1
11
0
3
3
16
2005-06
Portland Pirates
AHL
19
16
18
34
32
7
1
1
0
1
0
2006-07
Anaheim Ducks 🏆
NHL
82
17
27
44
55
12
21
6
9
15
37
2007-08
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
70
29
25
54
108
12
3
2
1
3
8
2008-09
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
78
32
40
72
109
10
13
8
6
14
36
2009-10
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
82
27
49
76
111
0
2010-11
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
82
50
48
98
104
9
6
2
6
8
4
2011-12
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
80
37
23
60
127
-7
2012-13
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
44
15
21
36
72
10
7
0
2
2
4
2013-14
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
81
43
39
82
65
32
13
4
7
11
19
2014-15
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
67
33
22
55
67
13
16
10
8
18
14
2015-16
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
82
34
28
62
68
2
7
0
4
4
6
2016-17
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
82
19
34
53
76
2
17
4
7
11
34
2017-18
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
71
17
32
49
71
-4
4
0
0
0
8
2018-19
Anaheim Ducks
NHL
31
6
4
10
27
-16
2019-20
Dallas Stars
NHL
57
5
16
21
70
-2
27
5
4
9
27
2020-21
Montreal Canadiens
NHL
49
9
12
21
39
-4
22
4
6
10
25
2021-22
Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL
82
19
21
40
66
9
23
6
5
11
26
2022-23
Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL
81
12
13
25
95
-28
6
2
3
5
7
2023-24
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL
16
4
5
9
12
-5
2023-24
Edmonton Oilers
NHL
38
8
5
13
34
-1
19
1
2
3
12
NHL Totals
1311
429
476
905
1426
215
54
73
127
283

PLAYERS REVIEWED SO FAR


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.

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