An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. In the world of the NHL, we are referring to the extended mid-game rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. The brawl started with Connor McDavid and Conor Garland on the 18th of January and ended with McDavid being ousted from the rink with a 3-match suspension and a fine of $195,312 after a hearing by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

On January 23, during another face-off between the Canucks and the Oilers, both teams went at it again. But this time, when a scrum ensued behind the net between Conor Garland and the Oilers’ goalie, Calvin Pickard, the Oilers’ right-wing man, Corey Perry, found his perfect window for revenge and punked the Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, sending him headfirst to the ice. While Perry seems to have gotten away with his snarky act, his behavior has caused quite a stir in the NHL.

On February 3, the Edmonton Oilers’ official Instagram handle posted a short clip in which Connor McDavid was asked what he most liked about Perry’s game, especially his ability to move up and down the line.

Talking about Perry, Connor McDavid said, “He’s just so smart. I think that’s the main thing. Obviously, he’s been around a really long time, seeing just about everything there was to see in this league. He’s just so smart out there. The way he’s around the net, getting pucks off the wall, winning battles. That’s really impressive.” 

Despite the mixed reactions surrounding Corey Perry’s stunt, he is the Oilers’ new folk hero. In the Oilers’ very next game with the Maple Leafs, Perry was moved up the line to play along with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Though Perry has been very beneficial for the Oilers, not many were happy with him being portrayed as a town hero vigilante. The celebration of Perry’s act has drawn criticism from other players, the NHL pundits, and the public alike.

Famous sports journalist and commentator Iain McIntyre‘s snide post on X about the entire situation mocked Perry’s alleged bigotry.

Corey Perry signed a one-year contract for $1.15 million with the Edmonton Oilers. Since his signing in 2024, Perry’s performance slumped in the NHL playoffs for the Stanley Cup, and fans began to ponder whether signing Perry was a good move for the Oilers.

Beyond Connor McDavid, is Corey Perry an asset for the Edmonton Oilers or a liability?

But since then, Perry has come a long way. While there was an initial slug, it could be tied back to Perry’s injury. In the past few Oilers games, Perry’s standing is at 4th place in the Oilers, with 9 even-strength goals just trailing behind Leon Draisaitl, McDavid, and Zach Hyman. But despite moving up the ranks, Perry’s image in the public eye seems to be marred with his questionable demeanor.

In the Oilers’ game against the Canucks, Teddy Blueger of the Canucks retaliated to the treatment of Hughes by taking multiple swings at Perry. While everyone anticipated a scuffle between Perry and Blueger, Perry chose to not react at all or take the bait to engage with Blueger. Instead, Blueger was awarded a penalty for roughing up Perry. With the Canucks receiving a penalty, Perry’s lack of a move against Blueger was as good as a chess strategy that goaded a player to land up with a penalty.

It is also worth mentioning that Perry has had similar peak-game moments this NHL season. In the Oilers versus the Buffalo Sabres game on January 25, Corey Perry pulled off a similar stunt on the Sabres goalie James Reimar. Perry pushed into Reimar and then into the net and held Reimar’s stick against the post to prevent him from making any possible saves. Corey Perry has also had some notable moments in the NHL this season.

At the Oilers match against the Seattle Kraken, Perry made full use of the opportunity where he found himself as open as a wide with no defenders in sight and swiftly scored a breakthrough goal for the Oilers, which put them in the lead against the Krakens on the scoreboard. For this NHL playoff season, Perry will be turning 40 when he plays with the Oilers for the Stanley Cup. Despite his age and the publicly fueled dislike that surrounds him, he still has a lot of good game left in him.

That brings us back to our earlier question. Is Corey Perry an asset to the Edmonton Oilers or a liability? Do tell us your thoughts.