The Los Angeles Kings are definitely taking a page from the old saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them”—or at least make your team look as much like them as possible. General manager Ken Holland has now signed several players with Edmonton Oilers ties. The latest addition, Corey Perry, has fans particularly excited, as they hope he can help end LA’s first-round hex.
Something must change for the Kings. Tired of watching every NHL season end in the same fashion—with a first round elimination to the Oilers—Holland has stepped in and is taking action upon arriving. Even Holland has ties to Edmonton, where he spent the last five seasons as president of hockey operations and GM.
Holland might be eyeing a personal vendetta of his own ahead of the upcoming NHL campaign. And to bring it to fruition, he’s taken a few key pieces from the Oilers’ puzzle.
Walking the talk
Perry, the 40-year-old veteran, could provide leadership—though LA already has plenty of that with Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, and the arrival of Cody Ceci. Holland wants results right away, and he made that perfectly clear with a candid statement.
General Manager Ken Holland of the Edmonton Oilers speaks to the media during Media Day prior to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 07, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.
“I believe we’re better. I believe we’re deeper. But, you’ve got to get to September and October. It’s got to happen on the ice,” Holland reminded the Kings during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
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Why Perry?
Despite his age, Perry has shown he can help his team make deep playoff runs. Obviously, Perry’s losing streak in the Stanley Cup Final is extremely hard to overlook, but the Kings would much rather lose in the Final than keep being knocked out in the first round.
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When addressing the traits that makes Los Angeles excited about the veteran’s arrival, Holland kept it simple. “We were struggling on the power play. Corey Perry can help it, he shoots right, [everybody else, but Andrei Kuzmenko] shoot left. Perry is a net-front presence,” Holland said about some of the qualities Perry brings to the table.
