Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Adam Henrique

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Zach Hyman, and now we turn our attention to Adam Henrique.

The Oilers acquired Henrique at the 2024 Trade Deadline and then re-signed him to a two-year contract with a $3 million cap hit. He registered 21 goals and 51 points in 168 games. He was brought in to be a reliable third-line centre who kills penalties, but the Oilers required more offence from him. The veteran forward didn’t provide enough depth scoring, and he was often invisible most nights. Here’s a deeper look at his 2025-26 season.

2025-26 Performance

Henrique had a very poor offensive season. He recorded three goals and 15 points in 65 games with a minus-12 rating, averaging 13:14 per game. He started the campaign as the third-line centre, but it was quickly realized that the team needed an upgrade at that position. He couldn’t keep up with the pace while maintaining the responsibility of that role. Therefore, he was moved down to the fourth line for large stretches.

Injuries limited him this season. He was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 7 after blocking a shot in the previous game and missed the next 15 contests. Then, he suffered a season-ending injury in Game 1 against the Anaheim Ducks after colliding with teammate Kasperi Kapanen just 2:56 into his playoff run.

Despite missing significant time, he was still sixth on the team in blocked shots with 75, first among forwards. He averaged 5.23 blocks per 60 minutes. At 5-on-5, he only had 89 offensive zone starts while having 150 defensive zone starts. He started just 37.24 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. The 2008 third-round pick was solid in the faceoff circle, winning 55.4 percent of his draws. He was also on the ice for 267 defensive zone faceoffs, which was more than Leon Draisaitl. Henrique was a trusted, defensively responsible centre.

Henrique’s Absence Was Felt

While Henrique didn’t move the needle offensively, his absence was really felt on the penalty kill. Before his injury, the Oilers were 17th in the league at 79.7 percent from Oct. 7 to Jan. 6. However, when he was injured from Jan. 7 to Feb. 25, the Oilers had the 29th-ranked penalty kill at 67.6 percent. In the playoffs, the penalty kill was putrid at only 50 percent, and Henrique was injured for basically the entire series. They struggled immensely shorthanded without him, and those stats back that up. He was missed more than initially thought.