With William Nylander locked up for the long term, THN's David Alter breaks down what it means for the Toronto Maple Leafs moving forward. The Maple Leafs and free-agent forward Corey Perry have "mutual interest," according to TSN1050's Carlo Colaiacovo [https://twitter.com/CarloColaiacovo/status/1745437390339023171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1745437390339023171%7Ctwgr%5E56f803cfa5d10310abd16b6c66d14931902fd405%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftempest.saymedia.com%2F%2Fcontent-items%2Fcs0279dd9220002668%2FContentArticle%2Fview%2Fci02d319f82001255c]. Perry had his contract terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 30 after the team had an internal investigation following an instance of misconduct involving the veteran forward. "Upon learning of the findings of the investigation, we made the decision to terminate his contract," Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson told the media after Perry was placed on waivers. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported in a blog earlier this week [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/corey-perry-eligible-to-sign-with-nhl-teams-after-meeting-with-gary-bettman/] that Perry had a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and was "cleared" to sign with another team. According to DailyFaceoff's Frank Seravalli, back in Oct. 2020, Perry had interest in joining the Maple Leafs, but after signing Wayne Simmonds, there didn't appear to be any more cap space. The former first-round pick is now 38 years old and it appears as though he doesn't have any plans of leaving the NHL just yet. In 16 games with the Blackhawks this season, Perry had four goals and five assists. A big question now is: Would the Maple Leafs organization go down a path where they sign him? A lot of questions involving Perry have already gone unanswered and Toronto — if they were to get a deal done with him — would likely need to know what happened between the 38-year-old and the Blackhawks organization. Nevertheless, it's fascinating to hear that there's "mutual interest" between both the Maple Leafs and Perry. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related PHOTOS and VIDEO: Ilya Samsonov Returns to the Maple Leafs, Debuts Another New Mask [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/photos-and-video-ilya-samsonov-returns-to-the-maple-leafs-debuts-another-new-mask] VIDEO: Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies Helped Off the Ice at Practice [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/video-maple-leafs-matthew-knies-helped-off-the-ice-at-practice] BREAKING: Maple Leafs Parent Company MLSE to Install New President and CEO [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/breaking-maple-leafs-parent-company-mlse-to-install-new-president-and-ceo] News from THN.com What Next for the Maple Leafs After Re-Signing William Nylander? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/what-next-for-the-maple-leafs-after-re-signing-william-nylander] THN Archive: Messier Brought Clout to Canucks, But West-Coast Experiment With 'Moose' Failed [https://thehockeynews.com/news/thn-archive-messier-brought-clout-to-canucks-but-west-coast-experiment-with-moose-failed] THN Pre-Game Show: Is William Nylander's Contract the New Trend-Setter? Plus: Hot Jets, Rebuilding Sharks and More [https://thehockeynews.com/podcast/thn-pre-game-show-is-william-nylanders-contract-the-new-trend-setter-plus-hot-jets-rebuilding-sharks-and-more]
