The Los Angeles Kings were active in NHL Free Agency this season as they look to compete for a Stanley Cup. One signing that grabbed a ton of headlines was veteran forward Corey Perry. Perry signed a one-year contract this summer after spending a year and a half with the Edmonton Oilers.
Perry is expected to provide needed veteran depth in this lineup. However, his Kings debut may be delayed. Perry has suffered an injury in an on-ice incident at practice, as first reported by John Hoven of Mayor's Manor. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed the report while mentioning that an official update may not come until training camp begins.
“Mayor’s Manor has confirmed through multiple sources that the play in question appeared to take place along the boards, and it wasn’t immediately clear if he went down as the result of catching a rut on the ice or if it was a result of contact from another player. Eventually, Perry was said to be taken off the ice in a wheelchair for further medical evaluation,” Hoven wrote of the incident.
Kings hope to lean on Corey Perry's Stanley Cup experience
Kings general manager Ken Holland knows what he's getting in Perry. After all, it was Holland who brought the veteran forward to the Edmonton Oilers back in 2023-24. Though no longer a superstar, he certainly has a lot to offer to any team.
Los Angeles is most interested in his Stanley Cup experience. Perry has won the Stanley Cup, doing so in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. More recently, he has skated in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately, he has lost each of those Finals. This includes the last two, where the Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers.
The Kings hope Perry can give them needed minutes and depth. And they hope his leadership can help a team looking to go far in the postseason. Hopefully avoids a serious injury and he can return in time for the 2025-26 season.
