McDavid says Perry 'great add' for red-hot Oilers

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid hated playing against Corey Perry but is now looking forward to having him as a teammate with the Edmonton Oilers.

“Obviously he’s a guy that has tremendous amount of experience, he’s won, he’s been right there year after year,” the Oilers captain said Monday. “He brings lots of leadership, a lot of experience, a lot of those intangible qualities that you can’t just teach. Obviously a great add for us.”

Perry, 38, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Edmonton on Monday. He has not played since Nov. 19 with the Chicago Blackhawks, who announced Nov. 28 they were terminating his contract after an internal investigation determined the forward had “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable and in violation of both the terms of his standard player’s contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

Perry said he has undergone counselling and worked with mental health professionals and is in a better place than he was two months ago. He hopes to make his Oilers debut Saturday against the Nashville Predators.

Looking to go on a long playoff run, McDavid would rather have Perry on his side than against him. Edmonton still remembers the 2017 Western Conference Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against Perry and the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers lost the heated series in seven games.

“I think Oilers fans got a good memory of what it’s like playing against Corey Perry,” McDavid said. “He’s all over the net, just a gamer. He’s played in some of the biggest games you can possibly play in and won those games. You can’t teach that type of experience, you can’t replicate that other than a guys that’s been there and done that. He’s done all that.”

McDavid said he feels adding a player like Perry will give Edmonton an edge needed in the playoffs. The Oilers were eliminated the previous two postseasons by the eventual champion. They lost in six games to the Vegas Golden Knight in the second round last season and swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final in 2022.

“I think the majority of the guys around the league dislike playing against Corey Perry,” McDavid said. “I think he’s a little nicer to his teammates than he is in a game playing against him, but I’m certainly glad he’s on our side.”

The Oilers have turned their season around after a slow start. They are on a franchise-record 13 game winning streak, which is also a record for a Canada-based NHL team. Perry practiced with them for the first time Monday.

Edmonton hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Place on Tuesday (9 p.m., ET; TVAS, SNW, BSOH) and Chicago on Thursday before facing Nashville.

“We’ve had lots of battles when we’ve been on the other side, but you look around this room we’ve had a few guys come in that we’ve had a little hostility against before coming in here, so it’s nice to play with him,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “He’s won in every aspect of this game, so he has a high pedigree and it’s great to be able to take some of that knowledge in this room and get to some of those heights he’s been at, so for us, we welcome him into this room."

Perry had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 16 games for the Blackhawks. He was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on June 29, 2023, and signed a one-year, $4 million contract the next day.

Selected by Anaheim in the first round (No. 28) of 2003 NHL Draft, Perry has 892 points (421 goals, 471 assists) in 1,273 games during 19 NHL seasons with the Ducks, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Lightning and Blackhawks. He won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and the 2011 Hart Trophy voted as NHL most valuable player after he had 98 points (50 goals, 48 assists) in 82 games. Perry has 124 points (53 goals, 71 assists) in 196 playoff games.

Perry lost in three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams, Dallas in 2020, Montreal in 2021 and Tampa Bay in 2022.

“I think he brings a whole new dynamic,” said Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak, who played with Perry for the Canadiens. “We talk about the playoff experience -- he’s maybe got the most playoff experience in the NHL at this point, and that’s something that’s always nice to have in the dressing room. We have a few guys that have pretty good playoff experience, but he’s in a category of his own in that sense. The age and the leadership and maturity, it’s a nice balance in the room for sure.”