Chicago gets first crack at pending 38-year-old UFA forward for a seventh-round draft pick in 2024
The Blackhawks acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free agent forward Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday for a seventh-round draft pick in 2024.
Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson said he hopes to sign Perry for his "mentorship and veteran presence" — and has established a pattern this week.
Generational talent Connor Bedard, drafted No. 1 on Wednesday, is now in line as the foundation for an expedited rebuild. Other top prospects are waiting in the wings, perhaps a year or two from making the team and then making an impact.
Davidson said he has no aversion to adding veteran forwards — as long as they're on short-term contracts and not overpriced — to support and protect the kids, while bridging to the future. The deal for the gritty Perry follows ones to obtain Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Josh Bailey.
Bailey was waived by Chicago within an hour of his trade. Davidson didn't see a steady role on his team for the 33-year-old who is on the downswing after 15 seasons with the New York Islanders.
Corey Perry is an old-school veteran leader...and can be ornery.But Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson told Davidson that Perry helped young players in Montréal in 2020-21 when Richardson was a Canadiens assistant. The Chicago GM would like to "extract some of that benefit as well."
"(Perry) knows what it takes to win," Davidson said. "Knows how to be great professional and also has some history and background with our head coach. He really appreciated that and saw some great benefit in what Corey did."
Davidson has until Saturday to get a jump on completing a deal with the 38-year-old Perry, who had 12 goals and 13 assists in 81 regular-season games for the Lightning last season. He added two goals and three assists in six playoff games against Toronto.
Perry just wrapped up a two-year contract with an annual cap his of $1 million.
Very much an old-school hockey player, Perry is a four-time All-Star and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 2011 with Anaheim when he scored a career-high 50 goals. In 1,257 career games with the Ducks, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Lightning, Perry has 417 goals and 883 points.
"He's probably a guy you hate to play against and love to have on your team," Davidson said. "We hope that's the way it will play out."