Ducks sign Corey Perry for five more years

Salary cap issues or not, the Ducks made sure that Corey Perry felt wanted and they got a commitment in return.

On the first day of NHL free agency, Perry wasn’t on the market for long, signing a five-year contract extension Tuesday worth $26.63 million.

“I really wanted to stay in Anaheim,” Perry said. “It’s home now.”

Perry’s contract includes an $8-million signing bonus spread over the five years. Including the bonuses, he will make $4.5 million this coming season, $6.5 million in 2009-10, $5.375 million in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and $4.875 million in 20012-13.

Once the NHL raised the salary cap ceiling another $6.4 million to $56.7 million, Ducks General Manager Brian Burke, his assistant David McNab and Perry’s agent, Mark Guy, worked quickly to get a deal done with the potential restricted free agent.

“In my mind, this is an important achievement for us,” Burke said. “He’s an important player for us. It reaffirms the Samueli family’s commitment toward winning.”

A first-time All-Star last season, Perry, 23, led the Ducks with 29 goals and finished with 54 points despite sitting out the last 12 games because of a torn quadriceps. He returned in the Stanley Cup playoffs and scored goals in Games 5 and 6 of the first-round loss to Dallas.

Signing Perry was crucial to the Ducks, whose 205 goals were tied with St. Louis for the second-fewest in the Western Conference. Burke is still trying to beef up their top-six rotation with Todd Bertuzzi cut loose and Teemu Selanne still uncommitted, but he said there’s nothing imminent.

“With Corey, he’s demonstrated a very high compete level, which is important to us,” Burke said. “The battle level, we place a great premium on that.”

The club did what it could to make sure that Perry wasn’t tempted to wait for a lucrative offer sheet from another team.

“Brian made it very clear that Corey was a top priority,” Guy said. “All of them did.”

Perry’s contract is another example of teams opting to sign their talented young players to expensive long-term contracts.

Burke said it was a reflection of the offer sheets that were handed out last summer by Edmonton General Manager Kevin Lowe, with whom Burke had a bitter feud after the Oilers threw a five-year, $21.25-million deal at Dustin Penner that the Ducks didn’t match.

“They’re all being re-signed at inflated prices,” Burke said. “Everything I said a year ago has come true. Every single word.

“Most [general] managers don’t like starting fights with any other managers… . Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers, the second contract [for players] has disappeared.

“You go right now from entry-level to what used to be the third contract, thanks to two offer sheets from Kevin Lowe.”

 eric.stephens@latimes.com