Free agent forward Corey Perry is officially eligible to sign with an NHL team. The 38-year-old had been seeking treatment for mental health and alcohol issues but has since found the help he needed to return to the NHL.
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It’s been a tumultuous season for Perry, who was off to a great start in his first year with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring four goals and nine points in 16 games. His tenure with the Blackhawks was short-lived, however, as his contract was terminated in late November for what the organization deemed unacceptable behaviour. Before deciding to terminate his contract, the Blackhawks sent Perry home while they conducted an investigation.
The most curious part is that what Perry did is completely unknown – to fans at least. Given that he is eligible to return and no charges have been filed, it seems safe to assume it wasn’t anything illegal. However, any inquiring team should do their homework, but if it is something that can be forgiven, there will be plenty of interest, and one team that should be looking into it is the Calgary Flames.
Flames Looking for Future Assets
We have to imagine that given Perry’s age and veteran leadership, his preference would be to sign with a Stanley Cup contender. The Flames are not that, as they sit outside a playoff spot with an 18-18-5 record through 41 games.
However, Perry may not have a choice if he wants to return to the NHL. Many teams have limited cap space and may be hesitant to use what they do have on Perry. For one, despite that what he did is not public knowledge, signing him could result in plenty of criticism. Also, he is past his prime and hasn’t played a game in nearly two months.
Perry may be forced to take whatever he can get, which is why the Flames should reach out. He would cost very little on a one-year deal. The best-case scenario is that he picks up where he left off with the Blackhawks. That would give general manager Craig Conroy another asset to help retool at the deadline, as GMs of Cup contending teams might become interested once they realize he is still a capable NHLer.
While any return for Perry won’t be groundbreaking, he could net the Flames a mid-round pick. As prospects such as Dustin Wolf have proven, great players can be found in the mid-to-late rounds of drafts. Adding such a pick, essentially, for free would be tidy business for Conroy.
The worst-case scenario is that Perry proves to be untradeable and remains with the Flames for the rest of the season. If you’re thinking that doesn’t sound so bad, you are correct. There ino real negative to having him in the lineup for a few extra months. While it could prevent a prospect from getting some NHL reps, it would also allow for other young players, such as Connor Zary, to see how a Stanley Cup champion, Hart Trophy winner, and potential Hall-of-Famer goes about his business.
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Despite whatever went down in Chicago, it seems every former teammate of Perry’s has nothing but great things to say about him as a person. His leadership, whether it be for a few months or the remainder of the season, would be beneficial for the Flames’ youth. Who knows, perhaps the knowledge he passes down will help the Flames win a Stanley Cup of their own in the not-so-distant future.
