Canucks insider opines Corey Perry doesn't bodyslam Quinn Hughes headfirst onto ice if $30,000,000 D-man was still with Vancouver franchise

Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal shared his thoughts on the incident involving Corey Perry and captain Quinn Hughes.

The incident stemmed from a scrum in the second period during Thursday's game. Perry went after Hughes and took him down in a rough play that raised concerns among fans, especially since the Canucks defenseman fell to the ice headfirst.

On the "Donnie and Dhali podcast," Dhaliwal expressed that the Canucks can't afford to let Hughes face this kind of punishment regularly. He pointed out that if Nikita Zadorov were still with the team, Perry likely wouldn't have attempted that move on Hughes.

"The Canucks can't have Hughes take this kind of punishment every night. "If Zadorov is in Vancouver last night, I don't care what anyone says, Perry is not doing that to Hughes," Dhaliwal said.

In the third period, Perry found himself in a situation where he took several punches from Teddy Blueger but chose not to engage in a fight. One could argue that it was a smart move by the Oilers veteran, as it led to a roughing penalty for Blueger, which ultimately negated the Canucks' man advantage.

Dhaliwal expressed his surprise at Perry's decision not to drop the gloves with Blueger, as he's not the type of player known for his physical play.

"I'm surprised Perry didn't fight Bluege because Blueger is not Miller. You know, he's not there. Nay, I'm very shocked that Perry didn't do that. I'm very shocked that Perry didn't do that. Very shocked," he added.

Meanwhile, Zadorov, known for his physicality and size, is playing for the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old, 6-foot-6 defenseman played for the Canucks for one season and is presently signed to a six-year, $30 million contract.

Corey Perry reveals his conversation with J.T. Miller

Corey Perry made a sarcastic remark regarding his exchange with J.T. Miller following a heated second period between the Oilers and Canucks.

After the period concluded, Perry and Miller remained on the ice, where they had a brief exchange of words. When asked about his chat with Miller, Perry said:

"Yeah, it was, yeah, I just asked him what he had for dinner. And how's, how's everything going? So that was it."

Perry signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers during the offseason last year. The veteran forward has racked up 15 points through eight goals and as many assists in 47 games this season.