Maple Leafs Explored Perry Add, Opted Out With Good Reason

In a recent episode of the Kyper & Bourne Show on Sportsnet, Nick Kypreos shared insights into Corey Perry‘s signing with the Edmonton Oilers, shedding light on the lack of widespread interest in the veteran forward. Among the teams who showed early interest prior to the signing was the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was also confirmed by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

While Perry did reveal in his media conference with the Oilers that he had options, Kypreos suggested those options were limited. As for the Maple Leafs level of interest, there was little enthusiasm for signing Perry. In fact, he contends, from the sources he spoke with, the Oilers were one of the few teams that demonstrated immediate interest. Toronto bowed out rather quickly.

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Kypreos mentioned Toronto as a team that passed on the opportunity and that the uncertainty surrounding undisclosed details about Perry’s situation in Chicago seemed to be a key factor in their reservations. Even Ken Holland’s acknowledgment that he lacked complete details could (and maybe should) have raised a flag for the Oilers, but it didn’t. The Leafs, as well as other teams, apparently had concerns and chose to err on the side of caution.

According to Kypreos, the fear of potential undisclosed incidents coming to light in the future led to a lack of confidence by the Leafs, and ultimately, that uncertainty played a big part in their decision to walk away. It also played into the absence of a bidding war or a sweepstakes for the veteran forward. Perry’s signing with the Edmonton Oilers was framed as a calculated risk and they were able to get him at a very low cost. Less afraid than other teams due to a similar gamble on Evander Kane, the Oilers moved forward.

Who Else Was Interested In Perry… To a Certain Degree?

Seravalli shared that he’d heard a few teams were linked. Among the suitors, the LA Kings, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, engaged in brief discussions with Perry, but none seemed willing to commit fully. Seravalli confirmed that Toronto had a conversation, but the talks did not progress significantly.