Journalist Martin Leclerc (Radio-Canada) just revealed a big scoop, during the most recent edition of the "Tellement hockey" podcast.
According to the information he got, Dominique Ducharme and his coaching staff were on the verge of naming Corey Perry as captain of the Montreal Canadiens. (Last summer) At least, that was their wish and their plan, but as we know, Perry eventually signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"We knew (Shea) Weber was leaving and we (coaches) were saying, 'Give him a two- or three-year contract, keep him to transition and help the young guys grow. He's a valuable asset." In the end, Marc Bergevin wasn't inclined to go for multiple seasons." - Martin Leclerc
So Ducharme and his crew wanted Perry to stay in Montreal, for a few more seasons, to be the captain "until" they could name a younger player, like a Nick Suzuki.
Clearly, today, Perry is helping his new team, the Lightning, a lot in the current playoffs, and he is still alive. To date, he has scored 5 goals (8 points) in 15 games during the 2022 series.
Remember that he signed in Tampa for two seasons and 1 million per year.