Free Agent Profile: Adam Henrique

As with so many players before him, Father Time has not been kind to Adam Henrique. Once a quality middle-six center for the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks, Henrique dropped off significantly during his time with the Edmonton Oilers.

In his last season with the Ducks, during the 2023-24 campaign, Henrique scored 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games with a +3 rating, winning 53.3% of his faceoffs. Anaheim dealt him to the Oilers for a collection of assets, including a first-round pick. Henrique closed out the year scoring six goals and nine points in 20 games.

Over the next two years, Henrique has not come close to matching that level of productivity. Matching his last season with the Ducks, Henrique has registered 15 goals and 42 points in 146 games with a -10 rating since the beginning of the 2024-25 season.

However, that doesn’t mean Henrique has nothing left to contribute. He remains a quality center in the faceoff dot, and even though his defensive metrics fell somewhat last season, he’s generally regarded as a responsible forward in the defensive zone. It may not be his ideal fit, but Henrique could still be a quality fourth-line center for many teams.

Stats

2025-26: 65 GP, 3 G, 12 A, 15 PTS, -12, 18 PIMS, 91 shots, 13:14 ATOI, 44.5 CF%
Career: 1,058 GP, 278 G, 294 A, 572 PTS, -23, 322 PIMS, 1,893 shots, 17:12 ATOI, 49.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

Even if he’s not in line for a significant payday, Henrique still has several options. Any team interested in signing Henrique for the 2026-27 season is likely doing so to improve their faceoff percentage and add veteran experience to the bottom-six.

Although they don’t have obvious needs for a 36-year-old center, the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning all seem like decent fits for Henrique. Each of those four teams finished in the bottom 10 in faceoff percentage last season and could use a bump at the bottom of their forward corps. Additionally, the Minnesota Wild make some sense for the same reason, but even bringing in Henrique on a minimum deal may be out of the question given their projected cap space.

Projected Contract

Henrique will likely secure his next opportunity through a professional tryout agreement. Given his age, declining performance, and recent injury history, it is unlikely that any team would offer Henrique a guaranteed salary without first evaluating his performance in preseason games.

If everything goes well, Henrique will sign a bonus-heavy deal if he converts his PTO. Because he was older than 35 as of June 30th, he can sign a bonus-laden contract. Henrique should expect to earn the league minimum in actual salary, but have games-played bonuses in his contract.