Anaheim Ducks: 6 Things on Bob Murray’s Offseason To-Do List

Find a New Home for Corey Perry

After a few days to process the news about Corey Perry‘s future with the Anaheim Ducks organization, I have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that it may be in the best interest if the franchise moves on from the veteran winger. Of course, the day he no longer dons a Ducks jersey will be just about as hard as the day Paul Kariya left the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for the Colorado Avalanche or when Teemu Selanne was traded to the San Jose Sharks during the 2000-01 season.

Hockey, however, like all national sports leagues, is a business, and sometimes the tough calls have to be made. In the case of Corey Perry, an aging veteran who’s point production has decreased, his contract is the most logical to try and get off the books in order to open up more room for the rookies, generate more cap space, and allow the Ducks to move in a new direction without any hiccups.

One possibility that has been thrown around is a buyout, and that will definitely save the Ducks some money. However, the owners of the Anaheim Ducks, Henry and Susan Samueli, don’t like to take that route unless it is the last option available. Finding a team that is willing to make a trade is the other option. Nevertheless, it most likely won’t happen unless the Ducks are willing to retain some of CP10’s salary. It is highly unlikely that a team will want to pay $17,250,000 over the next two seasons for a 34-year-old winger who has no guarantee of getting back to being a 50+ point producer.

There are a few teams who have shown interest in acquiring Corey Perry, and we will get into that at a later date, but Bob Murray needs to be wise about this trade. For all of the years he’s dedicated to the Anaheim Ducks, he deserves to go to a team who is going to use him and his skills to benefit their lineup, as well as a possible Stanley Cup contender.

Perry has been a foundational stone that the Anaheim Ducks have built their success upon, and it will be sad to see him go. However, just because a trade is imminent, doesn’t mean his impact on the franchise will be forgotten. His jersey will one day be hung in the rafters alongside Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, and Scott Niedermayer, there’s no doubt about it, and he will go on to continue inspiring generations of Ducks players and fans for years to come.