3 reasons why the Edmonton Oilers must make a serious push for Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique’s name is one that we are still seeing thrown around the rumor mill, and the Edmonton Oilers would be smart to make a play for him.
There are few, if any teams that have been more fun to watch in 2023-24 than the Edmonton Oilers given their wild ride through mid-February. Just about everyone counted them out early, but Edmonton has since clawed their way back into contention to the point they are currently third in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division with 63 points as of February 13th.
While there is hardly any chance of this team catching the mighty Vancouver Canucks, it doesn’t mean they won’t potentially sneak into a higher seed for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. One way to help solidify their chances would mean trading for a high-profile player before or at the trade deadline, and there is one in particular who would make a lot of sense.
Adam Henrique hasn’t been part of a good team lately thanks to the Anaheim Ducks struggles. But somebody will cash in big when they trade for him, and the Oilers should more than just strongly consider the idea.
Henrique would give the Oilers yet another solid scoring threat
There are times when it makes sense for NHL teams to upgrade weaknesses to their lineup, but it also sometimes makes sense to upgrade strengths. And nobody in professional hockey today has a better one-two combo than the Oilers with Connor McDavid (77 points) and Leon Draisaitl (62 points). Add in names like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and you may wonder where Henrique even fits.
Despite their strong scoring, the Oilers are not a top-five scoring team, and Henrique could be the missing piece to turn a great offense into an elite one. For an Anaheim Ducks team that is currently 29th in scoring with only 132 goals, Henrique has done a remarkable job of making the most of what he has in Anaheim, recording 35 points and 15 goals, the latter of which is tied for second behind only Frank Vatrano.
He’s hit 15.8 percent of all his shots on goal so far this season, and Henrique would also be a good asset to factor in on the power play should the Oilers trade for and need him on the man advantage.
Henrique could be much more than a potential rental in Edmonton
The Oilers would need to work out some logistics to bring in Adam Henrique. But once he’s in town, should they make the trade, Edmonton could keep him for a few more seasons should he join the team and they believed he was a good fit. Henrique just turned 34, and he’s certainly on the back-nine in a career that has lasted over a decade, so any new deal wouldn’t be long-term.
However, with five forwards scheduled to be unrestricted free agents, the Oilers could get a few more seasons from Henrique if they are interested in bringing him in and he plays well. This would give Edmonton scoring depth beyond the remainder of the 2023-24 season and presumably, during the playoffs.
Not only would this deal be no more than three seasons, it would also be far less than the $5.825 million Henrique is currently making in Anaheim. Overall, this would be a win for Edmonton, plus a win for Henrique, who has yet to be part of a team that has enjoyed sustained success. So even if the initial trade would take some effort, the moderate-term benefits would be much easier to work out.
Henrique’s versatility also makes Edmonton a dangerous team
The Edmonton Oilers are a team that ranks in the top-10 in both goals for and goals allowed, and in the latter category, they are in the top-five. But that also doesn’t mean a strong two-way player can’t make a great team on both sides of the ice even greater, and Henrique’s versatility would allow for that.
Rather than trade strictly for a pure scorer with little defense or a stay-at-home defenseman without much to give offensively, Henrique would give the Oilers another solid forward in the defensive zone.
We established earlier that Henrique’s presence would make Edmonton’s already dynamic team better when they have puck possession. But his ability to play defense would, in turn, create even more opportunities offensively.
You can see this displayed in Henrique’s 5-on-5 game, where despite the Ducks ranking 27th in the league with 180 goals against this season, the team’s on-ice save percentage with the 34-year-old in the game is a sparkling 91.2. Anaheim has also allowed just 24 goals in that same situation with Henrique on the ice through mid-February.
Better yet, he’s also good at helping the team move the puck up-ice at 5-on-5. When you look at Anaheim’s 40.5 offensive zone starting percentage with Henrique out there, then the corresponding 47.7 in the Corsi and 46.9 in the Fenwick, it shows us he’s partially responsible for the Ducks creating so many scoring chances offensively.
Those numbers would be much greater if he were playing for a viable hockey team like Edmonton not just this season, but also potentially in the foreseeable future.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 13th)