After the Vegas Golden Knights added big scoring winger Anthony Mantha Tuesday night, you knew the Edmonton Oilers would be feeling the urge to respond to their division rivals.
The Oilers, with their league-best .755 points percentage since making a coaching change Nov. 12, have all the offence you could ask for, also averaging a league-best 3.77 goals per game in that span. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl making for a formidable 1-2 punch down the middle, if Edmonton could find a primarily defensively responsible centre to line up behind them, and ahead of Ryan McLeod, it would make for a great situation at one of the most important positions on the ice.
Enter Adam Henrique, a 34-year-old veteran pivot who wins nearly 53 per cent of his draws and was second among Anaheim forwards in shorthanded ice time per game this season. Back in December, our scout Jason Bukala identified Henrique as one of five under-the-radar trade candidates who could bring real impact to a team. A perfect third line centre, Henrique was often used higher in the lineup on a thin, rebuilding Anaheim squad where he did still show some offensive chops with 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games.
The thing about centres, too, is that they're more flexibly used around a lineup.
"What I like about the deal is we're adding two players and both are versatile," Oilers GM Ken Holland said. "Both penalty kill. Adam shoots left and can play left wing or centre. Maybe he tries right wing. So we think we got some versatility."
The only Ducks forward who averaged more shorthanded ice time than Henrique this season was Carrick, the other player Edmonton acquired in this trade. Now with seven centres in their lineup, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch will have options in the face of post-season injuries.
Anaheim retained 50 per cent of Henrique's contract and, in return, Edmonton sent its 2024 first-round pick to Anaheim, leaving them without one two years in a row. They also gave up a conditional fifth-rounder to the Ducks, which upgrades to a fourth-rounder if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup.
Curiously, the Tampa Bay Lightning also got in on this trade as a third-party salary retainer, assuming 25 per cent of Henrique's cost for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
That means the Oilers are only on the hook for 25 per cent of Henrique's contract and, with Sam Gagner waived, will have approximately $1.2 million in deadline day cap space still to utilize. Holland spoke about using that money to seek out a down-the-lineup depth defenceman to round out a group of six he already likes.
And that, he hopes, is the final piece of this puzzle.
"We're trying to win now. We're trying to get deeper. The time is now. That's why we're doing these things," Holland said.
For more on the two forwards Edmonton acquired Wednesday, we turn again to Bukala.
SCOUT'S ANALYSIS
This is a savvy bit of business by Ken Holland and the entire front office in Edmonton. Adding both Henrique and Carrick to their roster without having to trade out anyone is a massive win for the Oilers.
Adam Henrique
Henrique’s a veteran forward who continues to play the game with pace and, more importantly, three zone detail.
Henrique played 60 games for the Ducks this season, averaging 17:35 of ice time, and was deployed in all situations. Perhaps most impressively he was a plus-3 on a rebuilding outfit in Anaheim.
Henrique can play centre and the wing. He won over 52 per cent of his draws. The small details that a player like Henrique will add to the Oilers forward group will contribute greatly to their team success.
Carrick’s a fourth line role player who will likely be tasked with checking middle six opponents and landing a role on one of the Oilers' penalty killing units. He brings a physical element and the ability to win key face-offs in all three zones.
Carrick averaged 12:37 of ice time in Anaheim, with 2:39 coming on the penalty kill. He will contribute offensively, occasionally, but it’s not his primary strength. Carrick won 51 per cent of his draws with the Ducks and was credited with 137 hits and 27 shot blocks. He makes the Oilers harder to play against at the bottom of their lineup.
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