As the Edmonton Oilers chase NHL history, rumours are starting to swirly about which players could be on the block ahead of the trade deadline, and which contending teams are starting to phone around for reinforcements.
The latest report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicates that Anaheim Ducks forward Adam Henrique is one of the most sought after players this year, and the Edmonton Oilers could be in the mix to trade for the veteran centre.
Here’s what the article says:
Adam Henrique will be a popular guy over the next four-to-six weeks. The Anaheim Ducks are collecting information and trade calls, and as I reported earlier this month, there seems to be a willingness to move him well in advance of the trade deadline. If the Ducks eat half his deal and are willing to take a contract back on top of it, I think the Edmonton Oilers could pursue.
David Pagnotta, The Fourth Period
This was followed up by a report from DFO’s Frank Seravalli who also pondered about the fit between the Oilers and Henrique.
While neither insider explicitly said that the Oilers were actually pursuing Henrique on the trade front, it does seem rather intriguing. In the NHL, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and if there is fire with this rumour it would make a ton of sense for the Oilers.
How the Oilers can obtain Henrique
Currently, the Oilers are projected to have just over $4M in deadline cap space available. That means they can absorb a contract with an AAV of $4M without having the other team retain any money. Henrique is a pending UFA with a cap hit of $5.825M, so the Ducks would either have to retain $1,800,113, or the Oilers would have to send back that amount in other contracts, or something in the middle that made the math work.
It’s really not that hard for this trade to happen, and for a rebuilding team like Anaheim the Oilers could dangle any of their better prospects or draft picks for a rental that will surely boost their team’s Stanley Cup Chances. If he can potentially bump Connor Brown out of the lineup and provide a solid depth centre and penalty killing option, it’s a huge win for the Oilers down the stretch.
2 Comments