Another year and another set of rumors surrounding Adam Henrique. The former 30-goal scorer has always seen himself in rumors, but he’s always ignored them, as they were often without merit. However, that hasn’t stopped the man behind “Henrique, It’s Over” from getting traded. He’s been moved multiple times.
While he’s been traded a lot, one thing he hasn’t really experienced is being an unrestricted free agent. Sure, he technically made it to UFA status in 2024, but he quickly re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers on a two-year deal. That deal expired on July 1st, and this time, reports say that Henrique will not be asked to return.
Henrique is coming off probably the worst season of his career. The now-36-year-old forward had just three goals and 12 assists in 65 games this season. He was benched for most of the playoffs, getting into just one game and failing to get a point. He is just one season removed from a season where he had 12 points and 15 assists, but it’s not like those are numbers worth bragging about.
Now, Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reports that Henrique will not return to the Oilers.
This is a player who was really good for the Devils back in the day, but he was traded almost 10 years ago. He’s a completely different player today. The Devils had a young Adam Henrique. This is now a grizzled veteran.
Since the Devils traded Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks, fans have been clamoring for his return.
The question turns to Henrique’s value, or lack thereof, to the Devils in today’s NHL. Now, we will say that if he’s willing to take a PTO in training camp, then this is a no-brainer. Heck, even if he’s looking to take a one-year deal for the minimum, he is probably worth it to bolster the bottom six.
Beyond that, this isn’t worth the Devils’ time. Henrique will always be a huge part of Devils history. Even beyond the goal he scored in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Henrique was a quality member of this organization for seven seasons. He was one of the few Lou Lamoriello picks in his later years that actually worked out. He has a 30-goal season on his resume for the Devils.
The Oilers saying no thanks to a Henrique reunion should give the Devils pause about anything that’s not an entirely low-risk proposition.
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