Or they at least loved the image they had of him after 20 years spent stirring the pot to a boiling point in his running battles with the Oilers.
In his prime, Perry’s special blend of belligerence, gamesmanship and net front tenacity would be anybody’s perfect fit. But you had to wonder, with 38 years and over 1,400 games on the odometer, how much he had left to give.
Especially after sitting idle for two months following his release by the Chicago Blackhawks.
We’re not going to know the full impact of draping a former public enemy in Oilers colours until the playoffs are over, but in the small sample size of seven games Perry is exactly as advertised. A little older, a little slower, but still every bit the antagonistic crease hound this team sorely needs.
After signing him as a free agent prior to the bye week the Oilers started him out on the third line to see what he could do and within two games he was riding second line shotgun with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane. Now he’s in the premium right wing spot on a nuclear line with Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
And he didn’t look out of place in any of those roles. Among his recent highlights (aside from two goals and two assists in the last five games) are knocking the stick out of a goalie’s hands and tripping a defenceman to set up the goal that got Edmonton rolling in a win over Anaheim, goading Marco Scandella into fight in St. Louis and potting a goal and an assist in the 4-3 overtime win in Dallas.
“He was really good,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “Those two guys (McDavid and Draisaitl) like to have the puck and they’re usually on the outside looking to make a play so you need somebody at the net front.
“(Zach Hyman) has been really good at that but we felt to balance our scoring we thought Corey would be an excellent compliment to Leon and Connor and it was a good game from all three of them.”