Adam Henrique Could Soon Get Replaced as Oilers Third Line Center
The Oilers are continuing to evaluate their roster in the hopes of improving and recently their positions Oilers center Adam Henrique's position as third line center has come into question.
The Oilers have just concluded a disappointing road trip to California, and it appears that this trip has exposed Henrique's deficiencies and have raised the possibility of an upgrade at the 3C position.
He was brought in by former general manager Ken Holland at the 2024 March trade deadline his bottom 6 in hopes of bolstering his bottom 6 forwards an awarded the 3C to Henrique
Henrique Sees Drop In Production
In the short time last year between the deadline and the playoffs, his numbers look promising, and it appeared the decision was the right one.
Throughout this season, however, this is it the case as his goal differential has dropped to 50% from 66.7% and his goals against have spiked to 14 compared to three last year in the playoffs.
With his five-on-five production dropping and no signs of improvement, he was dropped to the fourth line during the California road trip and head coach Kris Knoblauch decided to install Ryan Nugent Hopkins at the 3C position and tried Mattias Janmark against Anaheim.
His overall game has been less than adequate, and it may come a point in time
where Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman along with Knoblauch may look to alternatives to fill the third line role.
Their's potential for a player from the Bakersfield Condors who could be called up or continuing to experiment with different players to find the best fit for the best results.
There's also the possibility that the center may be on the wrong side of time as he is now 35 years old and may have seen a drop in his step and game that could be hampering his results.
Oilers May Look to Trade Market For Help at 3C
The Oilers currently hold a $3,000,000 cap hit for Henrique which extends into next season. If Bowman is serious about making changes to the team to make them a stronger cup contender, that third line position will need to be examined closely, and the market may bare a player that would fit the role better than Henrique.
After their 4-2 win against the Seattle Kraken yesterday, Henrique and the Oilers will continue their road trip in bean town where they will face off against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday January 7th.
Game time will be 7:00 PM eastern.
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