‘He’s loved it in Edmonton’: Corey Perry’s ‘top priority’ is to remain with Oilers

What a run it’s been for Corey Perry.

It was a monster playoff for the 40-year-old veteran, turning back the clock and scoring 10 goals and 14 points in the Edmonton Oilers’ 22-game run through the Stanley Cup Final, setting an NHL record for most goals in a single postseason by a player 39 years or older. He’s also fresh off a regular season in which he put up 19 goals and 30 points in 81 games, playing up, down and everywhere in the Oilers lineup.

And now, all signs point to Corey Perry wanting to remain with the Edmonton Oilers — even if the team has yet to offer him a new contract, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Tuesday.

“He values winning. He’s a $100-million career earnings player playing for the love of the game,” said Seravalli on Tuesday’s edition of . “He’s loved it in Edmonton. He has sort of been waiting for the Oilers to offer him a new deal, which they haven’t at this point, which has been a little surprising given his playoff success.

“I don’t know that you could find a better player for $1-million, but he’s definitely interested and that would be his top priority, to stay.”

The Oilers will have some difficult decisions to make this summer. Much of their $ 11.9 million in cap space will be allocated to an extension for defenceman Evan Bouchard, a pending restricted free agent.

Perry had signed a one-year, $1.15-million contract ahead of this season, and was more than productive enough based on the money he earned, but with his career close to an end, would he consider taking less, maybe even playing for league minimum? Seravalli’s note about Perry’s career earnings and his playing for the love of the game makes me wonder.

Either way, Evolving Hockey projects that Perry would re-sign with the Oilers, it would be on a one-year, $1.609-million contract, while AFP Analytics projects a one-year, $964,550 deal.