On March 6, the Edmonton Oilers acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks. They followed that up the next day by adding Troy Stetcher from the Arizona Coyotes. Now that the newest Oilers have had a few weeks to settle into their roles and they’ve all seen some game action, it’s becoming clearer what Edmonton has in these players.
Adam Henrique
Henrique is a perfect example of why you should never judge the results of a trade too quickly. There was a feeling-out process, and head coach Kris Knoblauch took time to find which role suited the versatile forward best. For most of his first few games, Henrique centred the third line, with linemates typically consisting of Evander Kane, Corey Perry, or Connor Brown.
In his first eight games in an Oilers uniform, Henrique produced only one goal and one assist. The slow start went beyond a lack of production; the underlying numbers were ugly. The Oilers were out-chanced 61-34 with Henrique on the ice, and they had a 37.43 percent expected goal share (xGF%).
Related: Oilers’ Henrique: 4 Things to Know About New Edmonton Forward
The early results certainly could have been better, but sometimes, building familiarity and finding the right fit takes a little time. Henrique was moved to the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele, and things turned around almost immediately. In 45:58 minutes of ice time together, Draisaitl and Henrique have an xGF% of 50.44, a 58.89 scoring chance share (SCF%), and a 68.08 high-danger chance share (HDCF%). Henrique has three goals in his last four games and has improved to seventh on the Oilers in points per hour (P/60) since the trade deadline.
So, why has Henrique’s new role yielded much stronger results than his third-line center role? A lot of it has to do with play style. He has always been more of a low-key player who makes subtle, intelligent plays and becomes a dangerous net-front presence in the offensive zone. He isn’t particularly strong at transitioning the puck, and his lack of speed restricts his ability to make plays when he needs to carry the puck on his stick for any lengthy period.
Asking him to drive a third line with other players who don’t successfully move the puck through the neutral zone consistently was probably too much to ask. Instead, Draisaitl and Foegele can do most of that, allowing Henrique to focus on playing to his strengths and positioning himself for scoring chances. So far, it’s working, and the offence is starting to click.
While scoring is great, it’s not the only thing Henrique can do; he’s also made a decent contribution on the penalty kill. His faceoff percentage is 60.2% as an Oiler, helping them get possession on key defensive zone draws, and he’s conceded the third-fewest goals-against per hour (GA/60) among Oiler penalty-killing forwards since March 6. Henrique is contributing in multiple ways, and he’s starting to gain some comfort with his new team.
Sam Carrick
The Oilers added Carrick to improve their centre depth and physicality on the fourth line. Initially, I had concerns about this acquisition; everything from Carrick’s on-ice impact to his production on the Ducks left much to be desired. He’s never been much of a play driver, and it seemed like a bit of a stretch to think he would move the needle on Edmonton’s struggling fourth line.
So far, though, Carrick has greatly surpassed my expectations. He ranks sixth on the team in P/60 since he arrived, and he’s won 58.5% of his faceoffs. His game has always revolved around his ability to win puck battles in the corners. Forechecking and retrieving pucks in the defensive zone were areas of strength in Anaheim, but he had a lot of trouble creating offence both off the cycle and the rush.
How has he managed to fare so much better with the Oilers? First, Carrick has found some chemistry with the suddenly red-hot Connor Brown. The duo has a 62.18 xGF% and an HDCF% of 81.55. He’s also kept his game simple, and it’s been an effective strategy with a much more talented group around him.
For instance, during his first goal as an Oiler, he parked himself in front of the net while Corey Perry went after the puck down low. As Mattias Janmark threw the puck on net, Carrick won the net-front battle against Josh Manson and put home the rebound. It’s not fancy, but that’s how he needs to play.
With the additions of Perry, Henrique, and Carrick and the continued evolution of Zach Hyman’s game, the Oilers have become one of the best teams in the NHL in terms of winning battles and generating offence in tight. According to Stathletes, they are currently first in the league in slot shots and inner slot shots per game. The team’s increased ability to win net-front battles is an excellent complement to the more skilled and versatile players like Connor McDavid and Draisaitl.
While Carrick has played well at even strength, his penalty killing has been sub-par. Carrick has the highest GA/60 and high-danger chances against on the PK than any other forward since he arrived in Edmonton. He had a particularly rough night on the kill against the Ottawa Senators last week, during which the Oilers allowed three power-play goals against Carrick on the ice.
Luckily, the Oilers have used him in a much lesser penalty-killing role than he played in Anaheim, and they don’t need to rely on him nearly as much. His even-strength play has been enough of a pleasant surprise thus far to forgive his penalty-killing warts.
Troy Stecher
The Oilers added Stecher to be their seventh defenseman on the depth chart, and so far, he’s been able to provide just what they were looking for. He has already drawn into the lineup four times due to Cody Ceci’s illness and a hand injury to Vincent Desharnais, and he’s held his own when called upon. Edmonton has won every game he’s played so far and only conceded one goal against with him on the ice.
Stecher has strong puck retrieval skills, and his ability to make plays in the offensive zone is underrated. Unfortunately, his game does fall off a little bit against elite competition. In his minutes against elites, the Oilers have registered 29.20% of the shot attempts (CF%) and 28.9% of the dangerous unblocked shot attempts (DFF%).
Of course, that sample size is small, so I would like to see him tested more down the stretch before casting too much judgment. In Arizona, he was below 50% in CF% and DFF% against elites but had a GF% of 76.9. Overall, his track record and results in Edmonton suggest that he should be able to draw in for Desharnais or Ceci and provide solid defence, particularly if he’s given a lesser role.
Oilers’ Additions Have Been Improving With Time
The feeling-out period has officially come and gone for the newest Oilers, who have all been a part of the team for over three weeks. After a somewhat underwhelming start, Henrique, Carrick, and Stecher have settled in and provided precisely what Edmonton hoped they would. They paid an expensive price to add these players, but there’s no question the Oilers are a better team now than they were before. Will it be enough to win them a Stanley Cup? We will find out over the next couple of months.