Ducks' Corey Perry Out Approximately Five Months After Meniscus, MCL Surgery
Ducks rightwinger Corey Perry will be out for the first five months of the NHL season after undergoing surgery to repair meniscus and MCL injuries in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday.
Perry missed Monday's preseason game against the Coyotes after sustaining what was described as a lower-body injury during pregame warmups, the team said. Anaheim general manager Bob Murray told reporters that the team hopes Perry can return by the trade deadline.
“He was doing the normal things he does at the end [of the warmup] and he pushed off hard on the right leg and it popped,” Murray told the O.C. Register. “Obviously, that’s because the MCL wasn’t tight. He’d been fighting that even though he wears braces on both knees. Maybe, as I tried to say to him [Tuesday], in this dark cloud maybe the silver lining is he gets it corrected. Let’s face it, Corey is a competitor and he wouldn’t come out of the lineup. He just keeps coming back. Maybe we should have fixed it a long time ago. Hindsight is easy.”
Perry, 33, is entering his 14th season in the league. The two-time All-Star has never played fewer than 44 games in a single season since joining the Ducks in 2006. He tallied 49 points last season, scoring 17 goals and assisting on 32 in 71 games last season. His absences leaves a big hole in Anaheim's lineup, which is already operating without forward Patrick Eaves, who has yet to be cleared to play after being diagnosed with a nervous system disorder.
"“It’s an opportunity here for some other people,” Murray said. “People are going to have to step up.”
The Ducks play two more preseason games Wednesday and Saturday against the Kings prior to beginning the regular season next Wednesday, Oct. 3, against the Sharks.