Corey Perry Out 6-8 Weeks Due After Severe Knee Injury
Well, you can’t make this stuff up. Just when you thought the Los Angeles Kings were piecing together a roster that might actually do something this season, the universe decided to deliver a classic, sarcastic punchline. And that punchline’s name is Corey Perry.
What Is Corey Perry’s Injury?
The ink is barely dry on his one-year, incentive-laden contract, and the 40-year-old forward has already found a way to get sidelined. Not in a heroic, game-saving-shot-block kind of way, but during a casual training skate. You know, the kind of skate you do before the real work even begins. It’s the hockey equivalent of tripping over the curb on your way into the office.
The official word is that he’ll be out six to eight weeks after going under the knife. For those of you keeping score at home, that timeline plunks him squarely on the injured reserve list for at least the first month of the regular season, including the opener against the Colorado Avalanche on October 7th. So much for that veteran grit making an immediate impact. Instead, he’ll be making an impact on a couch cushion.
What This Knee Injury Means for the Kings
Let’s be blunt: signing a 40-year-old is always a gamble. You’re not paying for the player he was, but for the glimmers of that player you hope he can still be and veteran influence. For the Kings, Perry was supposed to be that sandpaper guy, the agitator who could chip in with timely goals and get under opponents’ skin. He was the splash of Tabasco in what can sometimes be a pretty mild offensive soup.
Last season with the Edmonton Oilers, he managed a respectable 19 goals and 30 points in 81 games, proving he still had gas in the tank. He even turned it up in the playoffs. But now, instead of providing that spark, he’s created a lineup hole that Rob Blake has to figure out how to patch. The Kings will have to lean on younger players to step up, which is either a great opportunity for them or a terrifying prospect for fans, depending on how cynical you are today.
A Career Defined by Almosts
If you want to understand Corey Perry, you have to look at his almost-unbelievable track record. This is a guy who has played in the Stanley Cup Final in five of the last six seasons. That’s an incredible feat. The only problem? He lost every single one of them and especially as an Edmonton Oiler.
It’s almost poetic, in a darkly comedic way. He’s been with the Stars, Canadiens, Lightning, and Oilers during their final runs, each time coming agonizingly close only to watch another team hoist the Cup. He did win it all way back in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks, the Kings’ archrivals, which probably adds another layer of salt to this fresh wound for the LA faithful.
Now, joining the Kings was supposed to be another roll of the dice, another shot at chasing that elusive second ring. Instead, he’s starting his 21st NHL season on the mend, watching from the press box. After 1,392 regular-season games and 237 playoff battles—the third-most in NHL history—your body starts sending some pretty clear messages. This latest message was delivered via surgical steel.
Final Thoughts – How Will Kings Respond?
For the Kings, it’s an immediate test of their depth and a frustrating start to a season filled with high expectations. For Perry, it’s just another chapter in the bizarre, grueling, and often sarcastic story of his late career. Get well soon, Mr Perry.
