The Edmonton Oilers were able to retain Adam Henrique this summer on a two-year extension after he was acquired at the 2024 trade deadline along with Sam Carrick, who chose to join the New York Rangers this summer. With a $3 million average annual value, Oilers fans were delighted to bring Henrique back after a strong performance during the postseason.
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His veteran leadership was also sought after by other teams around the NHL, but Henrique turned down more money to come back and play with the Oilers. As his career is coming to a close, he’ll look to make a run for his first Stanley Cup. According to Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal, one team that missed out on Henrique but offered him more money was the Winnipeg Jets.
“A contact of mine in Winnipeg who has knowledge of the conversations says that Adam Henrique turned down a 2-year, $3.5m contract from the Winnipeg Jets at free agency this summer. Instead, he opted for the Oilers on a 2-year, $3m deal to stay in Edmonton. While $500k may not seem like a lot in an $88m cap world, that is about two thirds that of a minimum salaried player.”
source: “When adding a Top-4 D to the Edmonton Oilers blueline good things come to those who wait: 9 Things” – Edmonton Journal – Kurt Leavins – 09/01/2024
Players taking pay cuts to remain with the Oilers was thought to be something that was never going to happen. An extremely cold climate combined with fans who can be picky when their team is losing, as well as some of the toughest media to face in the entire league didn’t seem appealing to many players for a while. However, after a Stanley Cup Final appearance last season where they were just one game away from winning their first championship since 1990, some players seem to believe Edmonton is the place to be.
Henrique Has a Better Chance with the Oilers Than the Jets
The Jets will be pushing for a Stanley Cup this season and could have used Henrique’s veteran presence and playoff experience to help get them closer to their ultimate goal, but they still don’t quite have the team to be considered a favorite over the Oilers. With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard in their prime and looking to run it back with revenge on their minds, they will be a tough group to beat this season. The Oilers’ forward depth is among the strongest in the NHL, their goaltending is solid, and their defensive depth is good enough to make another deep push, thus making it obvious why Henrique chose the Oilers over anyone else.
Henrique will have a better chance at winning a Stanley Cup with the Oilers than he would have with the Jets. While other teams may have put more money on the table to bring him in, it’s clear his priority as he gets older is to win a championship, rather than making as much money as he can. It likely would have taken much more money to have convinced Henrique to leave the Oilers, considering how well he fit with the team’s bottom six and how much he was loved by the fans.
At the end of the day, the Oilers were able to retain Henrique on a valuable contract for two more seasons. The Oilers have made the right moves this summer and are lined up to make another deep push into the postseason with their acquisitions, and Henrique will be a huge part of it. His versatility remains strong despite being an aging veteran, and the Oilers will be able to utilize him in any part of the lineup should they run into injury trouble this season, or if they feel like shaking things up.
