Corey Perry found himself in a similar position this offseason to the one he was in last offseason, a gritty winger with a ton of heart, but one without a place to call home.
Luckily for Perry, the Habs took a chance on him last season after an impressive run with the Dallas Stars just one year prior. Fast forward one year and Perry, having just competed in his second Stanley Cup Final in as many seasons, has his third home in as many seasons. This time, however, Perry was able to secure a multi-year contract.
Perry, 36, signed a 2-year, $2M deal ($1M AAV) with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in a bit of a bittersweet turn of events. On one hand, Perry has joined a legitimate perennial Cup contender. On the other, he is leaving behind a team that he holds near and dear to his heart, as he had grown up a Habs fan.
The Peterborough native had originally intended to sign a new deal with the Canadiens, but when the two sides could not agree to terms before free agency opened up, Perry's camp elected to field some offers.
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According to TSN's John Lu, while the Habs did reportedly offer Perry a deal to return, it was only for one season. Meanwhile, the Perry camp had mulled over a 2-year deal from the Lightning and had decided that it was an offer that was too good to pass up, as it added a little more certainty to Perry's future.
That aside, Perry says he will always look back fondly on his time in Montreal, forever thankful that he had the opportunity to play for the Canadiens at least once during his career.
"It's going to rank up there in my career as one of the top things I've ever done," Perry said on Friday.
Now the page will turn for Perry, who will go from fan favourite in Montreal to Atlantic Division rival with the Bolts. But hey - it's a part of the business.
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