Veteran Oilers' forward called out for struggling in preseason games

Henrique is competing for a bottom-6 and penalty kill role in training camp, going-up against younger, motivated and less-expensive options at his position; his stats suggest he may lose his place in the lineup if his production does not increase over the course of this preseason.

At 35-years old, the reality is that Henrique's career is in decline - his numbers have taken a hit in recent seasons. And given Edmonton's goal of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals again this year, Adam may not have the luxury of time.

In fact, his last two years' statistics are not in his favour either. Last year, Henrique put up 12G and 15A in 81 games, and finished 10th among Oiler forwards with 17 points at 5v5, 14th among Oiler forwards.

The reality is that since arriving in Edmonton two years ago, Henrique has gone from a 1.93 points per hour 5v5 in 2010-11, to a well-below league average of 1.07 in 2024-25 with the Oilers, as reported by Oilersnation.

When Henrique was on the ice against against bad team, or against opposing teams' weaker lines, the Oilers were outshot and out-chanced. His linemates' production, including the defensemen on the ice during Adam's shifts, saw their numbers decline also, an indication that the culprit was clearly Henrique.

In addition, when Adam was on the penalty kill, the number of Oilers' unblocked shot attempts increased by 12 per hour, an 18% increase relative to the team levels, revealing his ineffectiveness on the PK.

Adam Henrique has his work cut out for him this offseason; and should he make the lineup, this early season too; as the Oilers can no longer afford to have such a liability on the ice, one with a $3M cap hit. He must improve, or he will be cut, seems to be the message from the head coach.