It is no secret that the Edmonton Oilers are all-in this year.
After summiting the Western Conference each of the last two seasons, the Oilers have faltered against the Florida Panthers. Despite reaching consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, Edmonton is still a tier below the champs and will need even more reinforcements to finally finish the job.
Assuming the Oilers are a playoff team by the deadline, they should look for goaltending help after the Stuart Skinner/Calvin Pickard tandem proved unreliable. However, if a top goalie is not on the market, they could look to ship some expiring contracts.
Tristin McKinstry of ClutchPoints recently listed forward Adam Henrique as a possible trade candidate for 2025-26.
Henrique, 35, has one year remaining at $3 million. At his age, with declining offensive production, a bottom-six boost could help Edmonton get over the hump.
While the market for Henrique would likely be scarce, do not underestimate the value of adding a seasoned veteran, especially to a younger locker room in need of guidance.
Furthermore, the Henrique money would make life easier in the ongoing Connor McDavid contract discussions. That extension could be signed before the season, but if McDavid and his camp want to delay negotiations, waiting for some extra cash flow could benefit each party.
The Oilers also have several other important — with perhaps a varying definition of important— pending free agents, such as Mattias Ekholm, both of the goaltenders, Jake Walman, and depth forwards like Kasper Kapenen and Curtis Lazar.
Ultimately, this is still all about McDavid, and the best way to retain him is to keep this team in contention. Unfortunately, that could signal the end of Henrique’s days in Edmonton sooner rather than later.
