The Edmonton Oilers were going to be active at the trade deadline, but two days beforehand, they made an epic trade that involved acquiring one of the biggest names in the rumor mill: Adam Henrique. Henrique was one player I endorsed in a trade to the Oilers because of his ability to help the team in quite a few ways.
While a likely rental given Edmonton’s current cap situation and the fact Henrique is in the last year of his deal, his ability to provide scoring on the middle-six is the first way the 34-year-old will help an already strong Oilers team grow even stronger in the offensive zone.
He was second on the Ducks in goals scored at the time of the trade with 18, behind only Frank Vatrano. Henrique also trailed Vatrano along with Troy Terry in points, putting him third on the team with 42. He has also been fantastic at the faceoff dot since the 2018-19 season, winning over 50 percent of his draws in each successive campaign.
While Edmonton’s power play is one of the best in the league, their penalty kill is closer to the league average, currently standing at 79.7 percent. Henrique has over 150 shorthanded minutes this season, and the Ducks have a solid 88.2 save percentage when Henrique is contributing at 4-on-5.
Edmonton Oilers score big in landing Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick
He has also helped the Ducks create ample scoring chances with a Corsi For Percentage at 48.3 despite an astounding 58.7 percent of all of his starts occurring in the defensive zone at 5-on-5. Further, a 91.7 on-ice save percentage in the same situation shows just how difficult Henrique can make it for opponents to find scoring lanes.
Since No. 1 goaltender Stuart Skinner hasn’t been as consistent as a playoff-bound team like the Oilers need him to be, Henrique’s presence will only help, along with that of Sam Carrick, who was also part of the deal.
Carrick doesn’t get in the way of many shots, but he’s a physical player who makes the most of his 12:37 average total ice time through 61 contests. Like Henrique, the defensive-minded center will give the Oilers at least a 50 percent chance to win faceoffs, and he could be another asset for when Edmonton finds itself shorthanded.
Overall, the Oilers should keep up their winning ways now that Henrique and Carrick are in town, and with 78 points, the veterans could realistically help this team catch the Pacific-leading Vancouver Canucks.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)