Should the Golden Knights Go After Corey Perry? The Pros and Cons of Signing Him

It's official: Corey Perry is eligible to return to the NHL. Formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks, the right winger has 421 goals and 471 assists in his 14-year career. He's already meeting with teams, which include the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The former Anaheim Ducks legend was let go from the Chicago Blackhawks for personal issues stemming from serious problems such as alcohol addiction, his mental health, and not-so-serious problems like... Connor Bedard's mom?

But in all seriousness, there is an offensive need for a player like Perry in the NHL. That includes a team like the Vegas Golden Knights, who are currently mired in a slump. Vegas needs a spark to combat the various injuries and woes before it's too late.

With that, let's explore the benefits and issues associated with signing Corey Perry. How can the Anaheim Ducks legend help the Knights out? What are some problems that Vegas might encounter? Everyone's asking how Perry can fit on their team, so let's do it for the Vegas Golden Knights!

1. The Pros of Having Corey Perry

Fingers are being pointed in all sorts of directions regarding Vegas's recent struggles. Logan Thompson, the defense allowing too many shots, and the special teams are a few of the problems being talked about.

But nobody's talking about offensive inconsistency, In fact, the Vegas Golden Knights have been shut out five times this season. Granted, part of that has been due to injuries. But this team has so much offensive depth that it shouldn't be a problem.

That's why Corey Perry looks so lucrative. He's a former 50-goal scorer that has an excellent offensive IQ. Not only that, but he sees quality scoring opportunities for his teammates, setting them up for success.

He's also shown himself to be a viable power play asset. This is a guy who's scored double-digits in power play goals five times. The Golden Knights can boost their special teams with the right wing player, adding more bite to the man advantage.

The best part about Perry's game is he's not afraid to get down and dirty (not in that sense). The former Hart Trophy winner is willing to sacrifice himself to make a necessary hockey play. Plus, he's known for being a clutch hockey player and scoring big-time goals.

Let's face it: Vegas's offensive issues are much bigger than one would like to think. But Perry can alleviate those problems with his offensive presence. This is especially true if you're missing a chunk of your regular starters, which describes the Golden Knights in the past few seasons.

2. The Cons of Signing Corey Perry

Not everything is unicorns and rainbows when it comes to the Vegas Golden Knights signing Corey Perry, though. There are some issues, both with his game and the intangibles associated with signing the former Stanley Cup champ.

For one, he's 38 years old. When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Phil Kessel last season, he was brought on to generate offensive depth for the team. However, Vegas got the sluggish Kessel that ended up not even making the playoff roster. That's basically what the Golden Knights would get with Perry.

You'd also have to consider this little tidbit. Before last season's Stanley Cup Final, Corey Perry was on the losing team for three straight seasons (Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning). Do you think the Vegas Golden Knights want that bad juju following them on their quest to repeat?

On that note of repeating, Perry being a distraction might also pose a problem. Vegas is known to be a tight-knit team, not being swayed by outside forces. People thought Jack Eichel would be a cancer to the team. Guess what happened after he was acquired from Buffalo? A Stanley Cup.

But the former first-round pick's problems might be too much to overcome. Bill Foley's team isn't known for being a hotbed for drama and news. It'd be too much of a cultural risk to bring on a distraction that got terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks.