The Los Angeles Kings are bringing Corey Perry back on a one-year deal worth $1 million, according to Elliotte Friedman.
Perry’s return gives Los Angeles a veteran winger who was already in the organization last season before getting traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Between the two teams, he appeared in 72 games and finished with 17 goals and 37 points. In the playoffs, he suited up for all seven games with Tampa Bay but did not register a point.
Now set to enter his 22nd NHL season, Perry has built a long career across six teams and 1,464 games. The Ontario native has scored 465 goals and piled up 972 points, putting him 28 points away from the 1,000-point mark.
His peak came in 2010-11 with the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored 50 goals and won both the Hart Trophy and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
At 41, Perry still gives the Kings something tangible beyond the numbers. He has spent years in different roles around the league, and he has been a familiar playoff presence, reaching the Stanley Cup Final six times and winning it with Anaheim in 2007. He also continues to produce, regularly landing in the 10-to-20-goal range and even earning second-line trust from Tampa Bay last season.
For Los Angeles, it’s a familiar name with a lot of mileage left in the tank. For Perry, it may be one more shot at another Stanley Cup in what could be his final season. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of his first NHL season.
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