The Edmonton Oilers were hopeful all week that forward Adam Henrique would be good to go for the opening game versus the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. It appears they’ll have to wait a little longer as head coach Kris Knoblauch has confirmed that Henrique will not be available for Game 1.
Henrique is dealing with a lower-body injury that wasn’t supposed to linger, but has. Knoblauch is hopeful the forward will be available for Game 2 on Friday, but he may be another game-time decision. If he’s good to go, he’ll slot in regardless of the outcome of Game 1. If the Oilers can win and Henrique is a maybe, they might be things cautiously and give him more time. If things continue not to progress, the Oilers will have to replace his role by committee.
Some may find it surprising to learn that Henrique led all Oilers in the playoffs with 22 hits.
Henrique Was Useful for the Oilers in the First Playoff Series
Henrique was slotting in on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. While he wasn’t producing at a high rate, he was a key part of that trio, helping McDavid and Hyman stay red-hot and acting as the defensive presence on that line. Henrique is a smart two-way hockey player who can be trusted in all areas of the game. He’s smart enough to know where to go and accent those two highly effective forwards. It will be up to Mattias Janmark and likely a couple of other players to fill in.
Connor Brown will slot into the lineup for the first time since the playoffs began. He’ll jump in on the fourth line as others are elevated up the lineup. Part of why Brown gets the call is for his penalty-killing ability. Henrique was playing on the Oilers’ kill and it was perfect in the series versus the Los Angeles Kings.
Expect to see some instances where Knoblauch double shifts Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on that top line in certain scenarios. The extra punch on offense might help alleviate some of the pressure of not having Henrique in the lineup.
Next: Big Storylines as Oilers and Canucks Set For Game 1 of Playoff Series
