Corey Perry's Retirement Fate Likely Confirmed Ahead of Fifth Stanley Cup Final in Six Years
Ahead of the Oilers facing the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch, two insiders spoke of Corey Perry's possible retirement, and it could depend on one thing.
NHL.com's Dan Rosen joined SiriusXM NHL Network Radio's Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick to discuss Corey Perry's future after this season.
The conversation centered around the fact that, with all the talk of youth movements and rebuilds, there is still room for grizzled old veterans like Perry, especially for teams making deep playoff pushes.
Gord Stellick: "And people talk about youth movements and rebuilding. Got to give a shout out to 40-year-olds. How about Corey Perry on the Edmonton side and Brent Burns on the Carolina Hurricanes side? Both have contracts up and show there's still room for a golden oldie, especially with a team going deep in the playoffs."
Perry continues to be a valuable asset, with a knack for finding himself on teams that reach the Stanley Cup Final. Barring a miscount, this year marks the fifth time in six seasons that he's been part of a Cup finalist.
His impact goes beyond stats; he's a player built for playoff hockey. Even when his offense is limited, Perry is always good for 11-12 quality minutes a night. In these playoffs, his minutes have increased, and he's chipped in offensively.
But the nature of his value remains the same, as he brings experience, grit, and playoff-proven style that can be inserted into any position in the lineup, from the first line to the fourth.
Dan Rosen does not believe Perry will hang up his skates
Although he did not light up the scoreboard last season, Perry's presence and reliability were still felt. Dan Rosen feels that retirement is not on Perry's list yet.
"I wonder if things for Perry, I'm pretty darn sure he's not going to be retiring at the end of the year."
- Dan Rosen
- Dan Rosen
NHL analyst Jim Biringer from 'NHL Rumors' believes that there is a slight chance Perry retires at the end of the season if he manages to win a Stanley Cup.
"Though if Perry wins another Stanley Cup with the Oilers this season, there is a chance he could retire."
- Jim Biringer, NHL Rumors
- Jim Biringer, NHL Rumors
This season, he's shown flashes of offensive impact again, not due to newfound speed or revolutionary playing changes, but simply from being consistently involved and making smart plays.
| POLL | ||
MAI 30 | 409 ANSWERS Corey Perry's Retirement Fate Likely Confirmed Ahead of Fifth Stanley Cup Final in Six Years If Corey Perry wins the Stanley Cup, will he retire? | ||
| Yes | 294 | 71.9 % |
| No | 115 | 28.1 % |
| List of polls | ||