Anaheim Ducks buy out veteran Corey Perry’s contract

After 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Corey Perry will no longer be suiting up in Anaheim after the team bought out the remainder of his contract.

The Anaheim Ducks made a stunning announcement Wednesday morning, the front office has decided to buy out the contract of right wing Corey Perry.

With the move, Perry will become an unrestricted free agent, ending his 14-year relationship with the Ducks franchise. At 35 years old and with an AAV of nine million dollars, the Ducks made the move to give themselves salary cap relief.

The Ducks announced the hiring of Dallas Eakins as their new head coach earlier this week and announcing this move now, it looks like they’ve jumpstarted their off-season in an attempt to get back to the playoffs after missing out this year.

Ducks Vice President and GM Bob Murray had this to say of the buyout:

"‘This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in my 44 years in the NHL. Corey gave everything to this franchise for 14 years, never giving an inch to his competitors. While his scoring touch is undeniable, his will to win became his greatest attribute.”"

The Ducks drafted Perry 28th overall in the 2003 NHL draft and called him up during the 2005-06 season. Since then Perry has been a fixture on the right wing usually on the same line as fellow 2003 draftee Ryan Getzlaf.

He is the franchise leader in games played (988) and penalty minutes (1,110). He is second in goals (372), and game-winning goals (64), and third in points (776). He, along with Getzlaf, were the last remaining players from the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup Championship.

In 2011. Perry became the only Ducks player to ever win the Hart Memorial Trophy emblematic of the leagues most valuable player, joining Wayne Gretzky and Joe Thornton as the only players from California to win the award.

Perry had been plagued with injuries and diminishing production in the last few years. His goal totals had dropped from 34 in the 2015-16 season to 17 in the 2017-18 season. This past season Perry only played 31 games due to surgery for a torn meniscus at the beginning of the season.

Due to his age and diminishing numbers, it is unknown if another team will be willing to include Perry in their plans. There is a possibility that Perry could hang up his skates but nothing is known at this time.

Regardless of what happens next, Perry’s legacy in Ducks franchise history is solid. It can be argued that his career aligns with Ducks greatest period as a franchise. Without Perry, there is no way the Ducks could have won six division titles and their lone Stanley Cup.

It is certainly the end of an era when Corey Perry is no longer in an Anaheim Ducks sweater.