Dallas Stars: Wrapping Up A Busy First Day Of 2019 Free Agency
By Josh Clark
Corey Perry
While the Pavelski signing had a certain predictability to it, signing Corey Perry provided a bit more of a shock factor (especially for Stars fans that had spent the past 5+ years booing him every time he touched the puck).
And so, when the Dallas Stars announced a one-year, $1.5 million agreement (with $1.75 million in potential bonuses attached) with the 34-year-old forward, there was a sense of caution embraced by many of the organization’s followers.
"“It’s been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Not knowing where you’re going to play and going through this whole process, I’m very excited to be joining Dallas. We have a great team and I’m looking to win another Stanley Cup. That’s my biggest goal and that’s why I chose Dallas. You look at their roster right from the goalie on out to the defense and the forwards, it looks like a great fit.” –Perry on joining the Stars"
On the one hand, Perry is coming off of a knee surgery that sidelined him for most of the 2018-19 season with the Anaheim Ducks. Upon returning earlier than he was supposed to, he couldn’t keep up with his normal scoring pace and ended the year with six goals, 10 points, and a -16 rating in 31 games.
That combined with the fact that the Ducks are trying to get younger led the team to buy Perry out of the final two years of his contract in early June.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a valuable asset to a Stars team that may end up paying him less than the Ducks do during the 2019-20 season.
“Corey Perry blew his knee out last year in September at camp, and that’s an injury that takes a year to recover,” Nill said of his confidence in Perry. “He came back I think two months earlier than he was supposed to, so we knew there was going to be a period when people were watching him in February and March and he was struggling, but you know that with those injuries.
“Corey Perry has been a world-class player and he’s won Olympics, a Stanley Cup, he’s been an MVP of the league, and he’s won the scoring race. Those guys just don’t go away. He’s still got that fire in him, he wants to win, and that’s why he came here. It’s a contract where he’s saying, ‘You know what? I’m still a player in this league,’ and that’s what excites me because he’s going to have a bounce back year.”
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Perry’s 372 goals and 776 points made him one of the faces of the franchise in his 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He’s an agitating winger that can play on special teams, provide a valuable net-front presence, and get under an opponent’s skin while adding a valuable scoring touch.
Bringing him onto the roster after a recent buyout is valuable for a few different reasons. On the one hand, the Dallas Stars were able to get him on a cheap contract considering he still has salary coming in from Anaheim. To add onto that, Perry sounds all the more motivated to get back in the game and prove people wrong with a competitive year.
“Physically, I feel great,” Perry said. “I’m 100 percent and the knee feels 100 percent. I’ve already started skating, so it’s definitely going to be hopefully a great year for me and a bounce back year. I’m ready to prove people wrong.
“I think if I can go in, fit right in right away, and get off on the right foot, I think it’s going to be great. For me personally, I’m going in there with the right attitude and motivation to prove people wrong. I’ve done that throughout my whole career and it’s worked so far. Hopefully it continues to do that.”
If the Stars can slot him on the second line or third line as well as the second power play unit while getting 15-20 goals and 30-40 points from him on the second or third line, Perry will simply become another one of Nill’s underrated signings. Either way, the Stars are getting another veteran-caliber player to further load their offense and balance out the youth.
“Accountability, speaking up when the room or team needs it, grabbing guys as a big brother but also maybe punching guys in the stomach sometimes when they need to be punched, that’s what I think they’re going to provide,” Montgomery said of Perry and Pavelski. “They came here to win, so I don’t think they’re going to waste any time trying to assert themselves as leaders.”
“They’re a quick team,” Perry said of the Stars. “Like I said, they have everything that I want in a hockey team and they’re on the verge of putting something really great together. I want to be a part of that. That’s why I chose Dallas.”
And if Dallas Stars fans can find a way to bury their grievances with Perry considering his history of playing against the organization, it’ll be all the more better.
“We’ve had so many battles, that’s for sure,” Perry mentioned. “I think once they get to know me and watch me on a nightly basis and not just playing against them, it’s going to be a good fit. I’m excited to get to Dallas and be a part of that community and organization.”