Forward Corey Perry has always been a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles Kings.
Dating back to his days with the rival Anaheim Ducks, Perry always got the chance to stick it to the Kings when he had the chance.
After years of playing on the other side, he shockingly joined Los Angeles this offseason as a free agent. After a freak accident on the ice, he will be sidelined for a number of weeks. Who takes his place in the lineup? There can only be one possibility,
Perry signed with the Kings on a one-year deal worth $2 million, which is a bargain considering how the free agent market has been. While we are still a couple of weeks away from the start of training camp, Perry took to the ice to get some work in when he sustained the injury. The injury was bad enough that he required surgery on the same day he injured it, Friday, September 12th. The diagnosis is that he will miss anywhere from six to eight weeks of action. Six weeks takes him to October 25th, while eight weeks takes him to early November.
Perry had been with the Edmonton Oilers the past few seasons, scoring 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 points in 81 games last season. A former Stanley Cup champion with the Ducks in 2007, Perry has been to his share of Cup finals. A known agitator, he will miss the first month as a member of the Kings. He was brought in due to his leadership, experience, and overall style of play. He was looked at as a pivotal piece heading into training camp. However, injuries do happen, and the Kings will be without his services for at least six weeks.
The question is, who replaces him? Not his overall meaning to the team, but on the ice, on the roster?
For me, Akil Thomas is the logical answer.
Akil Thomas
While training camp will decide this over some intense battles and exhibition play, Thomas is the player who is ready to take an NHL spot over those who will be competing. The player who comes out on top will take Perry’s spot on a line with newcomer Joel Armia and youngster Alex Turcotte.
Thomas has been thought of as NHL-ready for some time now, but has seen few NHL games. Last season, he scored one goal and two assists for three points in 25 games with Los Angeles. In the 2023/24 season with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL), he produced 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points in 64 games.
The 51st pick in the 2018 NHL Draft has something to prove, and now is the time to do so.
Samuel Helenius and Jeff Malott
Other players who might get consideration are Samuel Helenius and Jeff Malott. Helenius is a monster at 6-feet-6 and 210 pounds and does have NHL experience. Last season, he played 50 games with the Kings and scored four goals and three assists for seven points. He does have speed for such a big guy and can play with the fourth line with no issues.
Malott plays a similar game to Perry and showcased what he is capable of with a small sample size with Los Angeles. Last season, he had one assist and seven penalty minutes in 12 games for the Kings. He is similar to Perry in size, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 201 pounds.
While Perry will be back, the player who replaces him on the roster has a huge responsibility. They need to be the hardest-working players on the ice and keep the puck in the offensive zone at all costs.
Being defensively responsible is also huge, as the Kings do not like one-dimensional players.
We shall find out soon enough who grabs that spot through hard work and dedication, but it should not be a surprise if any of the three mentioned grab that role.
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