Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reports in his recent 32 Thoughts column that the Edmonton Oilers are wasting no time seeing if their recent acquisitions of Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick would like to stick around. Both pending UFAs, the two forwards were acquired from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, but GM Ken Holland would like to make them more than rentals. Preliminary conversations about respective contract extensions appear to have begun.
Friedman writes, “We will see how things unfold in the postseason, but Edmonton did show interest in extending both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick.” Neither Friedman nor Holland delved into specifics regarding the progress of discussions or whether talks had commenced, but Holland did allude to the notion when he acquired them. Saying he would see how things went this season and if there was interest in either play in staying, Friedman seems to suggest the Oilers are already asking.
As for what each player would be on the Oilers’ salary cap, Carrick won’t cost much. An $850K player, he would likely sign for somewhere around $1 million. For Henrique, the Oilers would likely get him at a discount compared to his $5.85 million salary.
Because the Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning are retaining salary on Henrique as a rental, the Oilers aren’t paying him that much on their cap now. Meaning, that he’ll fall somewhere in between his full cap hit of $5.85 million and the $1.456 Edmonton is paying. Henrique has had a decent season, scoring 18 goals and adding 25 assists. These aren’t the kind of numbers that jump off the page, however. At the age of 34, Henrique isn’t likely to be a 20-goal guy much longer. He’ll be looking for a depth role on a contending team where he can offer leadership and experience. The Oilers are as good a fit as anyone if he likes his experience here.
Oilers Trying to Get Value Out of Their First-Round Pick
Signing both to new deals would bring the Oilers more value out of the first-round pick Holland traded to acquire both. Unless the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, there’s always a bit of a sting that comes along with trading top picks for rentals. But, if either Henrique or Carrick prove not to be rentals, moving the first-rounder becomes a smart investment.
Next: 3 Takeaways from Oilers’ Massive 7-2 Victory Over Capitals
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