Corey Perry's ex-Oilers teammate lauds 40 y.o. veteran for signing $2M deal with arch rivals Kings

Corey Perry's two-season stint with the Edmonton Oilers came to an end this offseason as he signed with the Los Angeles Kings, a team he eliminated two years in a row in the playoffs. Perry signed a one-year, $2 million contract, and with bonuses involved, the contract is worth $4 million.

Corey Perry was one of the key figures who led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. The veteran forward scored 30 points in 81 regular-season games. But his contribution in the playoffs was much more significant, with 14 points in 22 playoff games.

The former Stanley Cup winner often took up the role of an enforcer for the Oilers, dictating the pace of games. Perry was also a leader in the dugout; his speech after a disappointing Game 4 first period led to an inspired comeback in overtime.

However, like three other previous consecutive results in the Finals, Perry was on the losing side. The Oilers also wanted to move on from ageing talent as they let go of players like Viktor Arvidsson and Connor Brown, along with Perry.

Perry's former teammate, Adam Henrique, was on "Leafs Morning Take" and spoke about Perry. The two were previously teammates at the Anaheim Ducks as well as Edmonton.

"I'm learning as you're getting older in this game, you have to do more and make sure you're on top of everything to perform on the ice. He's a guy that does that every single day. He knows what he needs to do to be a difference-maker for a team. You can see over the past number of years, he's not afraid to accept any kind of role on a team, to be a part of that team.

"He's effective in that too. He had a great playoff. Not shocked that a team like LA wanted him. Teams that play against him in the playoffs see how valuable he is, and if they get a chance to bring him in, they do. He's done it for a very long time. I don’t know if there's an end in sight for that guy," Henrique said. [Timestamp: 2:20 onwards]

Adam Henrique on his desire to stay in Edmonton

Elliotte Friedman had reported that the Oilers had asked players with no-trade and no-move clauses if they would like to waive them. Adam Henrique, one of the players, declined and decided to stay on. He explained himself during "Leafs Morning Take":

"It's been great. That was something I never really experienced in my career until I was traded there. A big part of the reason to re-sign and go back. Obviously, the team's been great every year and makes playoff runs, which is awesome to be a part of. But to play in front of the fans that we have every night, it's great. It can be a difference-maker.

"They see how important the game is to everyone there. Around the city, people just love the Oilers. They're just like another player for how much they love it. I had great fans in New Jersey and Anaheim, but it's on a different level. [3:50 onwards]

Henrique earned 27 points in 81 games for the Oilers with 14:39 minutes of average ice time. At 35 years of age, he will hope for more consistency as he approaches the twilight of his career.