Corey Perry is still finding ways to matter at 41, and the Los Angeles Kings seem positioned to keep asking for exactly that kind of value.
The veteran winger is heading into his 22nd NHL season this fall, and he now stands as the league’s second-oldest active player, behind only Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, who is also 41. Even at this stage of his career, Perry showed last season that he can still chip in offensively when used in a smaller role.
The Hockey News’ Courtney Nielson recently looked at what to expect from some of the NHL’s oldest players in the 2026-27 season, including Perry with the Kings. That assessment points toward a clear lane for how new head coach Peter Laviolette and Los Angeles can use him.
Last season, Perry finished with 17 goals, 20 assists and 37 points in 72 games split between the Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning. In the 50 games he played with Los Angeles before the deadline deal to Tampa Bay in early March, he posted 11 goals, 17 assists and 28 points.
He later returned to the Kings this offseason, signing a one-year, $1 million contract in unrestricted free agency early this summer.
For a bottom-six forward at 40 years old, that kind of production over 50 games was strong. Perry was especially effective early in the year after working his way back from the lower-body injury he suffered in training camp last fall. Once he got back into the lineup, he gave the Kings an immediate lift in the offensive zone, scoring seven goals and 11 points in his first 10 games with the team.
The expectation now is not that Perry turns back the clock. It’s that he keeps filling a useful role. Nielson projects him in a fourth-line group with center Alex Turcotte and winger Joel Armia, where the job description is straightforward: provide some scoring depth, bring physical edge, and help on the forecheck.
Perry is also closing in on a notable career marker. He is 36 games away from 1,500 regular-season NHL games, and if he stays healthy early this season, he could get there quickly.
The Kings don’t need Perry to be the player he was in his prime. What they need is a veteran who can give them 10-12 solid minutes a night, work around the net, add a little secondary scoring and maybe help out on the second power-play unit. At 41, that still looks like a role he can handle.
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