There were some great moments for Adam Henrique when he was wearing a New Jersey Devils sweater. He scored some big goals in the playoffs, including one that sent them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, and was later a top player on a team in transition.
In 2017, the Devils traded Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks to acquire Sami Vatanen. Since then, Henrique went on to have a solid NHL career in the Western Conference. He followed his time in Anaheim with parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
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Included in Henrique’s tenure with the Oilers included a couple of trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Like his run with the Devils, they fell just short.
Now, he is still a free agent as we enter the late stages of the NHL off-season. At 36, he still has what it takes to contribute to an NHL team, but someone has to be willing to take a chance on him as a depth center who can also play wing.
If a team doesn’t sign Henrique to an NHL contract before the end of August, it may be in his best interest to sign a PTO during camp and try to make whatever team gives him one. Then, he can go out and prove why he still belongs in the NHL.
Henrique isn’t bringing 20+ goals anymore, but he can be a 4th-line forward who wins faceoffs, plays hard, and brings a certain level of experience that would help young players.
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The Devils are not a likely fit for Henrique, but there are teams out there, including in the Eastern Conference, that make sense for Henrique.
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