NHL rumors: Adam Henrique’s $500,000 sacrifice to return to Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers had an interesting NHL Free Agency period this summer. One of their more notable moves was to keep Adam Henrique, signing him to a two-year contract. The Oilers traded for Henrique back at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. And in NHL Free Agency, they could have lost him to another team.

Henrique had a two-year, $3.5 million offer on the table from the Winnipeg Jets, according to Kurt Leavins of The Edmonton Journal. However, Henrique turned this contract down to remain in Edmonton. He took $500,000 less to stick with the 2024 Western Conference champions this summer.

Henrique is heading into his 15th season in the NHL. Other than the Oilers, he has skated with the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks. The Brantford, Ontario native scored 24 goals and 51 points while splitting the 2023-24 campaign with Anaheim and Edmonton.

Oilers’ Adam Henrique could have played large role with Jets

Adam Henrique figures to play a valuable role with Edmonton. He is currently projected to be the third-line center, according to Daily Faceoff. This is a likely outcome for the Brantford native. It’s hard to imagine him usurping either Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the second-line center role.

With the Jets, however, Henrique certainly could have played a top-six role. Winnipeg had Sean Monahan fill that role after a trade with the Montreal Canadiens last season. However, Monahan signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in NHL Free Agency.

As a result, Winnipeg has Vladislav Namestnikov as the likely second-line center. Namestnikov had a great season for the Jets in 2023-24. He could be a game-changer for Winnipeg in the year ahead, as well. In saying this, Henrique certainly would have had a good chance at anchoring the second line.

Still, staying with the Oilers has its benefits. Henrique can play more of a supporting role, which may work better at this stage of his career. Furthermore, he may have a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup in Edmonton. After all, he and the Oilers came within a game of winning it all in 2024.

The Jets had a great regular season and had a lot of momentum entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Winnipeg went on to win the first game of their series with the Colorado Avalanche. In the end, though, they ended up losing the series in five games to the Avalanche.

Whether Henrique’s decision to remain with the Oilers works out remains to be seen. In any event, he is apart of Edmonton’s roster for the next two seasons. Ironically enough, Henrique and the Oilers begin their 2024-25 campaign against the Jets on October 9.

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