Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Adam Henrique

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. Our last report card graded Zach Hyman, and now we move on to another veteran forward in Adam Henrique. Henrique was acquired by Edmonton ahead of the 2024 Trade Deadline in exchange for a first-round pick in 2024 and a fifth-round pick in 2025. The Oilers inked him to a two-year extension with a $3 million cap hit and a full no-movement clause. He’s entering the final year of that deal, but if he decides to waive his no-movement clause, he could get traded as a cap dump because, frankly, he’s underperformed since joining the organization.

The Brantford, Ontario, native was the third-line centre most of the season, recording 12 goals and 27 points in 81 games, averaging 14:39, the lowest of his career. He was also an important penalty killer, spending 129:28 on the penalty kill during the regular season, scoring a shorthanded goal, while adding another 34:43 during the playoffs. The only forwards with more time on the penalty kill were Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor Brown.

The 35-year-old had four goals and seven points in 22 playoff games, and two of his goals came in a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of Round 2. All of his playoff goals were scored in front of the Rogers Place faithful, so he failed to light the lamp on the road. He needed to produce more on the road, especially without the last change. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were constantly matched up against the other team’s top players and the team needed their third-line centre to step up and contribute; he didn’t do that enough.

The difference in the Stanley Cup Final was the third line. The Florida Panthers’ third line of Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, and Eetu Luostarinen severely outperformed Henrique’s line, which catapulted Florida to another Stanley Cup championship. The Oilers would be more dangerous if they had three lines that could score consistently, like we saw with the Panthers. Simply put, the veteran centre wasn’t effective enough and needed to be better.

Henrique Is Another Aging Forward

Like a few Oilers this season, Henrique’s age is catching up to him. In some games, he was just there, providing little value. He has lost some speed and doesn’t play with enough urgency or intensity. He doesn’t generate enough offence, and only had 65 high-danger chances in the regular season and 23 in the playoffs. Additionally, when he had opportunities, he failed to capitalize on them, which was the complete opposite of what he did when he joined the team. In his first 22 games since the trade, he had a 21.43 shooting percentage (S%), but last season he had a measly 11.54 S%, his second-lowest of his career with a minimum of 20 games played. He also turned the puck over way more than any other season, resulting in 57 giveaways, 23 more than his next-worst campaign.