Snapshots: Henrique, Pesce, Utah
The Edmonton Oilers will be without centerman Adam Henrique in Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury, reports Tony Brar of Oilers TV (Twitter link). Henrique missed Game 1 of the series with a lower-body injury. And while he returned for Game 2, he played in just 11 minutes of ice time, limited by the injury that will now hold him out of action.
Connor Brown is expected to step back into the lineup in Henrique’s absence. Brown has played in one game this postseason, though he failed to change his stat line in any way. He’s coming off an incredibly slow season, scoring just 12 points in 71 games despite being recruited to play on Connor McDavid‘s wing. It was a far, far step down from the 39 points Brown posted in 64 games during the 2021-22 season – though a torn ACL limited his 2022-23 to just four games. He’ll likely step right into Henrique’s role as the team’s third-line left-winger, though Brown may not be the choice for Henrique’s limited role on special teams. Those minutes could be fed to someone like Warren Foegele, who brings a bit more grit and energy and has similarly operated on the fringe of special teams.
Other notes from around the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to the team’s practice on Sunday but remains doubtful for the lineup, head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter link). Pesce has been out since April 22nd, battling with a lower-body injury suffered midgame. He was ruled as out indefinitely at the time, and while no direct timetable has been provided, his upgrade to doubtful is an encouraging sign of progress. Pesce played in 70 games this season, recording a career-low 13 points. He’s added one assist in two postseason games. Pesce’s return would likely bump Tony DeAngelo out of the lineup, with DeAngelo boasting just two points in his seven playoff games so far.
- Utah is beginning to fill out their front office, with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that agent Chris Armstrong could be a candidate for a senior management role with the club (Twitter link). Armstrong has ties throughout the hockey world, representing Kyle Dubas in his negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs and advising Utah owner Ryan Smith throughout the buying process, Seravalli adds. Armstrong is currently the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Media Group LLC, where he supports the representation of top NHL clients including Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Zach Werenski. He also represents star golfer Tony Finau.
West Notes: Marchment, Pettersson, Henrique, Drouin
The Stars have been without Mason Marchment since he suffered an undisclosed injury in the second game of the opening round. However, he could return for the second game of their second-round series against Colorado as Joey Hayden of the Dallas Morning News relays that the winger is now close to returning and is likely to be a game-time decision on Thursday. The 28-year-old had a career year offensively with 22 goals and 31 assists in 81 games during the regular season and is a big part of Dallas’ deep forward group so getting him back – whether it’s Thursday or soon after – would be a significant boost for them.
Other news from the West:
- After missing Tuesday’s practice due to illness, Canucks center Elias Pettersson will play tonight in their series opener, mentions Thomas Drance of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet also ruled out any speculation that the illness designation was covering up an injury. Pettersson had a strong regular season with 89 points in 82 games but was quiet in the first round, being held to just three assists in six contests against Nashville.
- As expected, Oilers forward Adam Henrique has been ruled out of tonight’s opener, notes Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). He was listed as doubtful yesterday due to a lower-body injury. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch added that he’s hopeful that the veteran will be able to return on Friday, continuing to list him as day-to-day. Henrique had a pair of points in their opening-round victory over Los Angeles.
- Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin skated today for the first time as he works his way back from a lower-body injury that caused him to miss the entire first round. Speaking with reporters including Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now (Twitter link), head coach Jared Bednar indicated that they need to ensure that Drouin’s wound heals so that it won’t bust open again which suggests he probably isn’t overly close to returning just yet. Drouin had a strong bounce-back showing during the regular season, picking up 56 points in 79 games after managing just 29 in 58 in 2022-23.
West Notes: Henrique, Marchment, Hakanpää
Oilers forward Adam Henrique has been downgraded to doubtful for tomorrow’s Game 1 of their second-round series against the Canucks, The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports.
Henrique, 34, has been dealing with a lower-body injury for at least the past few days, missing a practice last Friday. It wasn’t believed he would miss any time until today, and he’s now been officially listed as day-to-day by head coach Kris Knoblauch.
The trade deadline pickup from the Ducks was solid in Edmonton’s dispatching of the Kings in the first round, posting a goal and an assist in five games while averaging 15:52 per game. His lone goal, coming in the first period of Game 1, set an NHL record for the longest period of time between postseason goals for a player. His last came with the Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final – also against Los Angeles.
The domino effect of Henrique’s absence will force depth winger Mattias Janmark into a first-line role with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, per Nugent-Bowman. He’s averaged only 10:27 per game against the Kings but still managed two assists. Edmonton’s other trade pickup from Anaheim, Sam Carrick, has been a healthy scratch since Game 4 in L.A. and isn’t expected to re-enter the lineup.
Elsewhere in the West:
- As the Stars set to get their second-round series kicked off tonight against the Avalanche, they’ll again be without the services of winger Mason Marchment. He remains sidelined with the undisclosed injury he sustained back in Game 2 against the Golden Knights in the first round, head coach Pete DeBoer told Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. DeBoer did say Marchment isn’t too far away from returning, meaning he could return before the series stretches into elimination territory. After recording a career-high 22 goals and 53 points in the regular season, Marchment scored once against Vegas before exiting the lineup.
- Further away from returning is defenseman Jani Hakanpää, DeBoer added. Both he and Marchment are skating but he’s behind the winger in his recovery. The 32-year-old has missed a significant chunk of time with a lower-body injury, a blow to their defensive depth, although trade pickup Chris Tanev has replaced his top-four shutdown role and excelled while doing it. Hakanpää, a pending unrestricted free agent, last played against the Kings on March 16.
Evening Notes: Penguins, Henrique, Matthews
The Pittsburgh Penguins could be set for a flashy end to an era, with NHL insider Kevin Weekes sharing that the team’s departure from head coach Mike Sullivan could come via a coach-trade (Twitter link). Pittsburgh hasn’t yet granted Sullivan, who is set to begin a three-year extension next season, permission to talk with any other clubs. That control is invaluable in the current NHL, with four teams currently without a coach and plenty more questioning their bench-leader. Pittsburgh has been no stranger to coaching drama in the early offseason, recently relieving two AHL coaches and one NHL assistant of their duties. These moves came despite Sullivan being “vehemently opposed” to changing his staff, says Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link).
Sullivan took over Pittsburgh’s head coach role midway through the 2015-16 season and quickly carried the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. He’s held onto the role despite three changes in general manager and one change in ownership – ultimately becoming the second-longest tenured active coach in the NHL, behind Tampa’s Jon Cooper.
The NHL hasn’t seen a coach-for-coach trade, though there have been coach-for-picks trades. This includes the Quebec Nordiques’ trading of head coach Michel Bergeron to the New York Rangers in 1987. Quebec received what would end up as the fifth-overall pick in 1988 in return, using it to select winger Daniel Dore. The Toronto Maple Leafs also traded Quebec exclusive rights to negotiate with then-AHL head coach Marc Crawford as a part of the 1994 trade that sent Mats Sundin to Toronto. Crawford went on to serve four seasons as Quebec/Colorado’s head coach, even leading the Avalanche to the 1996 Stanley Cup.
While it’s hard to imagine what a coach-trade would look like in modern day, there’s no doubting that Mike Sullivan would carry significant value on the open market. He’s been an NHL head coach for parts of 11 seasons, and has Stanley Cup pedigree on his resume. He becomes one of the many talented, and long-tenured, coaches to monitor as NHL teams shake things up this summer.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique has suffered an lower-body injury but isn’t expected to miss time, shares Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor (Twitter link). Gregor adds that the injury was suffered in Game 5 and forced Henrique out of practice on Friday. The Oilers won’t begin the Second Round until early next week, giving injured players a chance to heal up. Henrique has served in a top-six role since being acquired at the Deadline, recording two points in five games this postseason and nine points in 22 regular-season games with Edmonton.
- Superstar forward Auston Matthews was present at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Friday practice after missing the last two games with an undisclosed ailment, shares Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe told Whyno that Matthews is progressing, though the team still isn’t sure if he’ll be available for Game 7. The Maple Leafs have come back from the brink of elimination in Matthews’ absence, forcing a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series. They’ll look to finish the comeback on Saturday, with or without their historical scorer.
Oilers Showed Interest In Extending Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick
The Edmonton Oilers didn’t have much cap space or buying power ahead of the Trade Deadline, heavily limiting the lineup upgrades they could bring in. And rather than fight through the nitty-gritty of the cap, Edmonton instead opted to make one very calculated, and very impactful, trade – acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth and fifth-round pick in 2025. Aside from quietly acquiring veteran depth defender Troy Stecher, the big-name buy from Anaheim was Edmonton’s only Deadline move. And now it seems the Oilers are trying to stretch out the impact of the deal, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the team showed interest in extending both of their new faces.
Now, it’s no surprise to see Edmonton trying to get the most out of what they paid for, especially with both Henrique and Carrick set to become unrestricted
free agents this summer. But Henrique is 34 and Carrick 32, likely limiting any contract negotiations to the short-term. That’ll be a change of pace for the veteran Henrique, who’s had just three contracts across his 14-year NHL career. What’s more, he’ll be roughly one full season away from his 1,000th game in the NHL when this season ends – meaning wherever Henrique signs next is likely where he achieves that tremendous feat. He’s shown plenty of loyalty throughout his career – playing eight years in New Jersey and seven years in Anaheim – but a looming retirement could leave the 34-year-old considering if Edmonton is where he wants to finish out. There would be no shortage of interested parties if Henrique did hit the open market, though extending him would go far in solidifying Edmonton as a top team over the next few years.
But while Henrique is an established veteran newly exposed to the world of short-term deals, Carrick is on the eighth contract of his eight-year career in the NHL. He’s in just his third full-time NHL season, finally carving out a confident role on the 2021-22 Ducks roster. He’s totaled 22 goals and 37 points across 180 games since then, adding a strong 50.5 faceoff percentage and 362 hits. Carrick fills a lot of the boxes teams look for in fourth-liners, and he’s admirably serving in that role for the Oilers. But after cap retention in the trade, Carrick is contributing just $425K to Edmonton’s salary cap. That’s a great price for an effective fourth-liner, but richer prices could be too much to bear for an Oilers team that could afford space for young players. Carrick likely doesn’t demand much on the open market, but how Edmonton decides to approach his extension could serve to lock up their bottom six.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Edmonton Oilers Acquire Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick
2:31 pm: The Ducks have made the trade official per a team announcement.
12:23 pm: The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks are working on a trade that will send both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Alberta. With the full trade details before either team has confirmed, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that Anaheim will acquire a 2024 first-round selection as well as a conditional 2025 fifth-round selection that can be upgraded to a fourth-round pick if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup.
Although the Ducks are already retaining 50% of Henrique’s salary in the deal, the Tampa Bay Lightning were also brought in to retain 25% of the salary as well, earning a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick from the Oilers in the process. Aside from Henrique and Carrick, Edmonton will also be acquiring Tampa Bay’s 2024 seventh-round selection and goaltender Ty Taylor, who is currently rostered on the Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL.
Further reporting has indicated that Anaheim will be retaining 50% of Carrick’s contract as well, bringing his total salary with Edmonton down to $425K for the remainder of the season. Because the Ducks retained money on both players, they no longer have any retention spots available for any remaining trades they may make leading up to the deadline.
With Henrique now in the mix, Edmonton will have the opportunity to get creative in their top six. Understandably, they will likely keep their first line together heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs but now can move either Evander Kane or Mattias Janmark around the lineup to create a more balanced offensive approach. 
Speaking of balance, that is exactly what Henrique brings to the table for the Oilers as one of the more consistent two-way forwards in the NHL. Formidable offensively, Henrique has scored 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games for the Ducks this season but also boasts a 52.9% faceoff win rate.
Aside from helping out both offensively and defensively at even strength, Henrique should also be able to improve the Oilers’ pedestrian penalty-kill percentage this year. Centering Anaheim’s top penalty kill unit for much of his tenure in California, Henrique should be able to slide next to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the team’s top penalty kill unit or be the focal point of the team’s second unit.
Carrick, on the other hand, gives the Oilers an upgrade to a portion of the offensive unit they have been craving for much of the season. Experimenting with Connor Brown and Adam Erne on the team’s fourth line, Carrick gives Edmonton a more bona fide player to utilize in that role.
In 61 games for Anaheim this season, Carrick has scored eight goals and 11 points in total as well as throwing 137 hits against his opponents. Carrick has mostly played down the middle for the Ducks this season but does give the Oilers some flexibility to move Dylan Holloway to the wing on the bottom line.
With the inclusion of a first-round pick going to Anaheim in this deal, General Manager Pat Verbeek has added yet another top selection for the 2024 NHL Draft, with the Ducks now having seven total selections in the first three rounds of this upcoming summer’s draft. With 11 picks in total for 2024, the Ducks will now have added 20 new players to the organization via the draft in the last two years alone.
In Tampa Bay, even by retaining a total of $1.45MM of Henrique’s salary, they will still have plenty of cap maneuverability to make a big splash come deadline day. Essentially purchasing a later-round pick from the Oilers, the Lightning could use this extra draft selection as a sweetener of their own in a few days.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports images.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report trade talks heating up between Edmonton and Anaheim.
The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the trade had been completed.
TSN’s Chris Johnston was the first to report that draft picks would be headed to Anaheim.
Avalanche, Oilers Pursuing Adam Henrique
The Avalanche and Oilers are among the teams that have expressed interest in Ducks forward Adam Henrique ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said Monday. Now on an expiring deal with a $5.825MM cap hit, the 34-year-old Henrique is nearly guaranteed to be moved in the coming days after receiving strong interest from contenders going back months.
Both teams have 2024 first-round picks to dangle for Henrique, and Edmonton has made it known theirs is on the table. However, it appears they’re more likely to leverage that asset for a defenseman – meaning, speculatively, that their offer for Henrique revolves around a high-end prospect, not a pick.
Henrique would immediately slot into a second-line role for either team, although he’d more likely be utilized as a center in Colorado. He, along with Valeri Nichushkin, would anchor the Avs’ second line behind their top unit of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. That’s not considering the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog from back-to-back knee surgeries during the postseason, which could give them an absolutely dominant two-way trio of Henrique, Lehkonen and Nichushkin backing up their stars.
The Ducks are expected to retain 50% of Henrique’s salary in a potential deal, bringing his cap hit down to $2.91MM. Colorado and Edmonton would need to carry a third party into trade talks to retain an additional 25% of his salary to remain cap-compliant. The Avs have $2.23MM in projected deadline space, while the Oilers have $2.37MM with an artificially small 21-player roster. At a 75% discount, Henrique would cost $1.46MM against the cap.
For Edmonton, Henrique would help stabilize a second line alongside Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at center. He also helps shelter Evander Kane on the opposite wing, whose possession impacts have been considerably worse than his linemates.
Henrique is among the Ducks’ scoring leaders with 18 goals, 24 assists and 42 points in 60 games. In addition to logging 17:35 per game and winning 53% of his draws, Henrique has some of the better possession stats on the team, boasting a 48.2 CF% at even strength. The Brantford, Ontario, native reached the Stanley Cup Final as a rookie with the Devils in 2012 and earned Selke Trophy votes in 2013 and 2016.
West Notes: Henrique, Nichushkin, Dewar
Teams’ interest in the services of Ducks center Adam Henrique continues to intensify ahead of next week’s trade deadline, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports. “It’s a matter of when, not if, he’s traded,” Pagnotta said, also reporting it’s “all but certain” the Ducks will retain up to half of Henrique’s $5.825MM cap hit in a deal.
That would bring Henrique’s cap hit down to $2.91MM without needing to get a third team involved, which would still be out of reach for contenders pondering adds on offense like the Oilers, Avalanche and Kings. Los Angeles would be able to stomach Henrique’s cap hit if Adrian Kempe lands on LTIR for the rest of the regular season, however. He’s out with an upper-body injury sustained Monday against the Oilers, and the team hasn’t finished evaluating his recovery timeline.
All signs are pointing for the Ducks potentially adding a first-round pick in the next nine days after centers Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan fetched first-rounders a few weeks back. Henrique, who can also seamlessly shift to a left-wing role, has 16 goals and 38 points in 57 games this season. His 0.67 points per game are the third-most of his career, trailing the pace he set with Anaheim in 2021-22 (0.72) and the Devils in 2011-12 (0.69).
Other updates from the Western Conference:
- Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is nearing a return after being cleared to resume practicing with the team by NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program administrators earlier this week. While he hasn’t been approved to play in game action, that will come soon. Head coach Jared Bednar said on 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Radio on Wednesday morning that the Avs are targeting one of their first home game after their current road trip for Nichushkin’s return (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now). That rules him out of a return tomorrow against the Blackhawks or Saturday against the Predators, but he will return sometime during the week preceding the March 8 trade deadline. Nichushkin had 42 points in 40 games before taking leave from the team last month, a career-best scoring pace.
- Wild depth forward Connor Dewar may join fellow Minnesota bottom-sixer Brandon Duhaime on the move in the coming days, as Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic posit. Duhaime, a pending UFA, is drawing trade interest from a few teams (namely the Canucks, per a report earlier this week) and is a decent candidate to be moved regardless of the Wild’s postseason intentions. Dewar may also fall victim to a roster crunch caused by the return of Mason Shaw from reconstructive ACL surgery and the arrival of Russian center prospect Marat Khusnutdinov, a younger, higher-ceiling replacement for Dewar in the fourth-line center role. The team controls Dewar’s signing rights as he’s an RFA this summer. He has 16 goals, 36 points and a -16 rating in 169 games with Minnesota since making his NHL debut in 2021.
Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Rangers, Pacioretty
The Devils have been pondering about making a big push to acquire Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. After a rough 2022-23 campaign, the 34-year-old has bounced back nicely this year, posting a .914 SV% in 31 starts to keep Calgary within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West. Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with a $6MM cap hit and has a full no-move clause, giving him control on where he goes if he decides to accept a move; Pagnotta notes that Markstrom would seriously consider approving a trade to New Jersey should talks get that far. The Devils have a team save percentage of just .881 this season, tied with Ottawa for last in the NHL so a significant upgrade between the pipes like Markstrom would be would give them a huge boost for the stretch run.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Rangers are believed to have interest in center Adam Henrique but are not willing to part with the first-round pick the Ducks are seeking, reports USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano. The 34-year-old is the best rental middleman left on the trade market, giving Anaheim some extra leverage in discussions. Henrique has 15 goals and 18 assists in 49 games so far this season while winning 53.4% of his faceoffs. However, he carries a $5.825MM cap hit, one that the Ducks will need to pay down half of to maximize his value.
- When Max Pacioretty signed with the Capitals in free agency, he landed a full no-move clause as part of the contract, seemingly hoping to stick with them for the full season. However, Pierre LeBrun notes in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that his sense is that the 35-year-old might waive that trade protection for the right fit and a chance to go for a Stanley Cup. Pacioretty has a base $2MM cap charge, plus another $2MM in games played bonuses. Half of those bonuses have been met already while another $500K will be earned when he plays his next game which should come on Saturday versus Boston.
Adam Henrique Could Reunite With The New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in Anaheim Ducks centerman Adam Henrique, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. The Devils were the team to draft Henrique, taking him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft. He played out his rookie season in 2011-12, appearing in 74 games and scoring 51 points – the seventh-most a Devils rookie has ever scored. Henrique would go on to play eight seasons and 455 games with the Devils, serving in a pivotal role as the team’s second-line center and averaging around 18 minutes of ice time. He even served as an alternate captain for the team from 2015 to 2017.
The Devils dramatically parted ways with the centerman in November of 2017, trading him to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Sami Vatanen and a 2019 third-round pick used to select Daniil Misyul. Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick used on Blake McLaughlin were also sent to Anaheim. Henrique has been with the Ducks ever since, playing in seven seasons and 423 games with the club. That includes 48 games this season – with Henrique boasting 15 goals and 32 points, ranking him third in scoring on the Ducks and, if he joined them, the Devils. The 33-year-old has scored at least 40 points in every season where he’s played at least 50 games – a mark he’s on pace to continue this year.
The Devils would relish in the chance to find an apt replacement for absent centermen Jack Hughes and Michael McLeod. Their missed games have left team captain Nico Hischier with a lot of responsibility – though he’s managed it in stride, with 28 points in 36 games this season despite facing injuries of his own. Still, Henrique would relieve Erik Haula as the team’s second-line center, and provide yet another goal-scorer to a Devils team that already has seven players with 10 or more goals on the season.
Henrique is in the last year of his five-year, $29.125MM contract signed with the Ducks in 2018. He carries a manageable $5.825MM cap hit.