Henrique left money on the table to re-sign with Oilers
The days of the Edmonton Oilers being an undesirable destination for free agents are over as some players are taking less money to play for them.
Players are starting to realize that the Oilers are poised to be a top contender for the Stanley Cup next season and are willing to overlook other places to sign in the Alberta capital. The opening day of NHL free agency saw the Oilers sign 12 new contracts, including bringing Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson into the fold.
One of the more surprising signings was the team bringing back Adam Henrique, who many thought was going to be priced out of a return to the Oilers. Yet, on the evening of July 1, the team announced that they had brought back the 34-year-old on a one-year deal with a cap hit of $3 million.
It turns out that Henrique left money on the table from other teams to return to the Oilers.
“To have a chance to win, I think the group [in Edmonton] is a special group and I had so much fun being part of it this year and wanted more of that,” Henrique told media on Tuesday. “Maybe you sacrifice a bit of ice time or money at the end of the day, but to have that opportunity to win and to play in Edmonton in front of those fans was special for me.”
"Everybody is team-first."
Henrique shares his thoughts on his decision to re-sign with the #Oilers. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/tpiFj4zm8C
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 2, 2024
It certainly sounds like the Oilers faithful played a factor in convincing Henrique to re-sign with Edmonton. The playoffs were a bit of a showcase, or a reminder, to the rest of the league about just how passionate the city of Edmonton is for hockey.
Another thing that Henrique mentioned was that his short time with the Oilers was the first taste of success he’s had in the NHL in quite some time. He made it to the Stanley Cup Final with the New Jersey Devils way back in 2012 but hasn’t had much more playoff action since.
The excitement of being in the playoffs and going on such a thrilling run was another factor that kept him around for another season.
“To be back there and have the opportunity to be back in the playoffs, it really did rejuvenate me,” Henrique explained. “Being on a rebuilding team for a number of years, it’s hard… at the end of the day we play hockey to win.”
Henrique isn’t the only Oilers player from last year’s roster who was eager to re-sign with the team. All of Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, and Corey Perry also re-upped with the Oilers for another season. Henrique says the attitude among the players in Edmonton is to do whatever it takes to help the team win, regardless of individual success.
That includes maybe leaving some money on the table.
“The feeling I got this past few months of being there is that it really is a team-first mentality for everyone,” Henrique explained. “I think to get to the finals is a different animal in itself to get that close so I think it says a lot about a lot of players that sacrificed a little bit there to have that opportunity again.”
Henrique coming back into the fold will give Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch plenty of options in his bottom six. Henrique had great chemistry with Brown and Janmark in the playoffs and could very well find himself being Edmonton’s anchor on the third line.
As summer rolls on, we’ll have to wait until training camp to see where he slots into this refreshed Oilers forward group.
Follow Channels and Categories