Two Canadian teams emerging as frontrunners to sign Corey Perry

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Ryan Hall
January 12, 2024 (7:32)

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After a turbulent few months, Corey Perry, the former winger of the Chicago Blackhawks has been cleared to sign with any team of his choosing.

These unexpected sweepstakes certainly have been heating up over the last 48 hours along with the speculation on to which team will land the veteran star.

There seems to be an appetite for Perry to return to Canada as reports have been circulating around the web that two Canadian teams appear to be frontrunners for his services in the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.

For the Maple Leafs, signing Perry would certainly signal the fan base that the team is willing to take the steps necessary to land a player with vast playoff experience and a Stanley Cup winner. Having grit, an irritating demeanor to their opponents and having a will to win are qualities the Leafs could use. Even at the age of 38, he still holds plenty to offer and would be a benefit for the Leafs as they lacked this kind of player in their bottom 6.

This kind of signing also would set off a crazy storyline to the market with a colorful history between Perry and the Leafs. With the John Tavares incident against Montreal, along with countless times in the playoffs with Tampa where he has burned Toronto, it will be an interesting reaction if the Leafs land him.

Much can be said about the Oilers with Perry in terms of his skill set and what he brings to the table. As the Oilers are rather thin in their bottom 6, a player of his caliber is exactly what the team needs.

The Oilers are also trying to take the next step as their quest to winning the Stanley Cup grows closer. Players like Perry would give them the leadership and experience that they so desperately need to understand on how and what it takes to go to a finals and win the Cup.

No one at this time knows what the contract would look like whether it be a league minimum deal or somewhere between 1-2 million for the remainder of the year. But with both teams in the win now mode, I expect both general managers to be on their phones trying to make something work.