Anaheim Ducks Had to Give Corey Perry More than Ryan Getzlaf

Not only are the Anaheim Ducks making a splash with their play on the ice, they've also made a rather large splash off the ice by spending a quarter of their cap space on two players. Those players are captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, both players likely to be Ducks for the rest of their careers inking 8 year deals.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf was the first to sign his 8 year extension with the Ducks after making it clear he didn't want to go anywhere else. Getzlaf's deal was worth a whopping $66 million working out to around $8 million a year- a tough contract for the captain who's never scored 30 goals to live up too. After news broke of Getzlaf'signing, it was immediately assumed that his teammate and good freidn Corey Perry would not be coming back due to cap space.

There was lots of speculation that Corey Perry was anxious to test the free agent market at the end of the year and that the Ducks would try to shop him at the trade deadline. Up until the wingers suspension it didn't look like a deal was to be reached- but with a little extra time to think and some advice from Bob McCown advising him "Not to chase after money if you're happy already," Perry changed his mind and resigned an 8 year deal with $69 million.

Two of the biggest things weighing on Perry were being closer to his family and getting the money he felt he deserved. After the Ducks agreed to terms with Getzlaf it looked like they wouldn't be able to keep Corey Perry at a price that was some what fair to his skill level and what he brings to the team, if they planned on keeping Bobby Ryan.

After a horrible year last season and then bursting out of the gate winning their first 20 of 26 games it became obvious there's a bright future in Anaheim under Bruce Boudreau. But that bright future needed the skill of Corey Perry in order to continue being bright.

While the name Corey Perry may not have the same bang that Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane or Evgeni Malkin have- he's one of the young elite in the NHL. Turning 28 fairly soon he's just entering the prime of career which scary- scary good for Ducks fans.

In his 7 years with the Ducks he's scored 30+ goals 4 times and has never had a season under 50 points (aside from his rookie year), he won the Hart Trophy as the MVP in 2011, Rocket Richard Trophy, already has a Stanley Cup to his name and an Olympic Gold Medal. Not bad for a kid who isn't even 28 yet!

When you look at the offensive side of things Corey Perry brings more to the table than Ryan Getzlaf. In Getzlaf's 7 seasons with the Ducks he's never scored more than 25 goals. While he may not score as much as his teammate he's a huge reason Perry enjoys the success he does- Getzlaf has hit the 50 point mark every year but his rookie year, a large part of that is assists.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are not only teammates but also good friends and it's that chemistry and friendship that helps them have success on the ice. That chemistry is also a major reason why Perry chose to resign with the Ducks. 

" It definitely helps having Getz and I signed here for a while" ~ Corey Perry

The two young stars who are about turn 28 (birthdays are just days apart) have formed a remarkable chemistry, meshing well and forming arguably one of the best tandems in the NHL. Having both young superstars resign for the long-term is great news for the future of the Anaheim Ducks. Not only does the team have a chance to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season they will be competitive for several more years.

Perhaps what makes Corey Perry so lethal is the fact he's already had a slump. Last year was an off-season for Perry, despite scoring 37 goals he only recorded 60 points the first time he's had a slump in production. Every young player goes through slumps, Patrick Kane is coming out one, Claude Giroux is going through one, Alex Semin had one with the Capitals and even Crosby went through a bit of a slump due to injury. Slumps in production happen to the best of them and the good thing for Perry and the Ducks is he's already had a slump.

With 24 points in 25 games this year Perry seems to be back to his old form and with Bruce Boudreau now coaching the Ducks things look good for Perry's production in the future. When push came to shove there was no real reason for Corey Perry to leave Anaheim. He got more money for staying (8 years instead of 7), Boudreau will let him focus on offence, he stays with Getzlaf and is on a team that has potential to win another Stanley Cup.

Back to the original question- why does Corey Perry deserve more money than Ryan Getzlaf- because of his resume. While both players have Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medals, only one is a consistent 30+ goal scorer and has won individual NHL awards. When you look at the stats Perry deserved a little more money than Getzlaf, he's done more to contribute to the teams success, the Ducks couldn't afford to lose the skill of Perry he is arguably one of the best young players in the game.