Veteran forward Corey Perry is expected to sign a contract to play the remainder of the season with the Edmonton Oilers, according to multiple reports.
David Pagnotta of TheFourthPeriod.com was the first to report the news.
The team is expected to officially announce the deal on Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector.
Perry, 38, has been without a team since the Blackhawks removed him from the club’s active roster prior to a 7-3 loss in Columbus on Nov. 22. After he went unclaimed on waivers and the contract was dissolved, the team released a statement saying it determined he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his standard player’s contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”
At the time, Chicago GM Kyle Davidson met with the team, and while he did not disclose the specific incident(s), sources indicated he made it very clear the organization could not tolerate or afford any misbehaviour in the aftermath of the Kyle Beach situation.
Perry released an apology, admitting his “behaviour was inappropriate and wrong,” adding he would work with experts to “discuss his struggles with alcohol.”
The veteran forward won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks, the team that drafted him in 2003, but went to three straight Finals with three different teams (Montreal, Dallas, and Tampa Bay). He signed a one-year deal worth $4 million last summer to play in Chicago after being traded on June 29 by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had four goals and five assists in 16 games with Chicago, before being waived by the team.
Perry has 421 goals and 471 assists in 1,273 career NHL games, to go with 1,392 penalty minutes. He is a veteran of 196 playoff games, having accumulated 124 points in the post-season. He is also a two-gime Olympic gold medallist, a winner of both the senior and junior world hockey championships, and a member of Canada’s World Cup of Hockey-winning team in 2016.
The Oilers host the Blackhawks on Thursday, though it’s not known if Perry would be ready to play by then. (That game can be seen on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT.)
