Getty Edmonton Oilers players celebrate a goal.
The Edmonton Oilers were so far away, yet so close to winning the Stanley Cup Final. Ultimately, they lost 4-3 to the Florida Panthers. Now, decisions will need to be made quickly with the offseason being right around the corner for everybody.
According to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, addressing the situation of the Oilers pending free agents, veteran forward Corey Perry is “as good as gone” from the team he’s only played for one season.
“Perry had just 1 goal and 3 points in the playoffs and was scratched six times. The 39-year-old never quite felt like the right fit for the roster. A return seems unlikely,” Nugent-Bowman wrote.
Perry spent the 2023-24 season with the Oilers playing 54 regular-season games and scoring 22 points in those contests. He added 3 points in 19 postseason games while averaging 10:46 minutes of ice time per game.
The veteran, who has reached the Stanley Cup Final five different times, only won one of those series all the way back in 2007 as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. He became the first player ever to play in the finals for five different teams, including the Oilers, Ducks, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Best Reactions to Corey Perry’s Stanley Cup Final Missery
In the era of the meme, fans were ruthless in dropping jokes and comments about Perry’s failure to win the cup for the fourth consecutive time after the Oilers lost Game 7 to the Panthers.
Corey Perry since leaving Anaheim:
2020 — loss in Finals with Dallas
2021 — loss in Finals with Montreal
2022 — loss in Finals with Tampa
2023 — lost to … Toronto…
2024 — loss in Finals with Edmonton
Sometimes, life just isn’t fair.
“Sometimes, life just isn’t fair,” Big Head Hockey wrote on X.
reject modernity, embrace tradition (corey perry losing the stanley cup finals)
Another user joked about Perry’s preference for “traditionalism” instead of “modernity” in a message posted on X. “reject modernity, embrace tradition (corey perry losing the stanley cup finals),” the user wrote.
THE CURSE STRIKES AGAIN!!!
THANK YOU COREY PERRY!!
Another person, using a grim reaper meme, added the Oilers logo to the oft-used image while claiming “The Curse Strikes Again” and thanking Perry. He was referencing Perry’s fourth consecutive loses after leaving the Ducks following the 2009 title.
Corey Perry losing in the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in five years is hilarious.
Finally, Andrew Berkshire was ruthless and simply labeled Perry’s failure and losing the Stanley Cup Final as “hilarious,” something the poor veteran has had to face four of the five times he’s gotten that far in the playoffs.
“Corey Perry losing in the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in five years is hilarious,” Berkshire wrote.
Oilers Serious Business: What to do with Leon Draisaitl?
While Perry’s absence could be noted next year as he’s a bonafide grizzled veteran, the pressing issue for the Oilers and Edmonton as a whole is what will happen with superstar center Leon Draisaitl.
Draisaitl’s contract ends on July 1, 2025, and he can sign an extension starting July 1, 2024. According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Draisaitl’s choice will dictate the Oilers’ strategy heading into the 2025 trade deadline and beyond.
“Edmonton is not inclined to let the 28-year-old center simply play out the final year of his contract,” Johnston reported on June 25.
Adding to that report, Nugent-Bowman wrote an op-ed on June 26 in which he shared his thoughts on the situation. He believes the Oilers shouldn’t consider trading Draisaitl. That’s even if he declines to sign an extension before the 2025 trade deadline.
“The outcome of what happens between Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers this summer is franchise-defining. It could have massive ripple effects that include Connor McDavid’s future,” Nugent-Bowman wrote. “So, here’s some unsolicited advice for the Oilers. Don’t trade your superstar center under almost any condition.”
PuckPedia has the Oilers with just over $10 million in cap space. However, they only have 14 players under contract. Consequently, the franchise needs to sign at least nine players during the offseason.