PROJECTED LINEUP: Henrique hopeful for Game 1, Janmark fills in on top line

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers are prepared to pivot when it comes to their lineup if forward Adam Henrique is unable to go on Wednesday night for Game 1 of their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

[UPDATE 05/08/24 @ 12:59pm MT: Adam Henrique has been confirmed as out for Game 1 by Head Coach Kris Knoblauch, with Connor Brown returning to the lineup in his place. Mattias Janmark will begin the contest on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.]

Henrique missed his third straight practice on Tuesday morning with a suspected lower-body injury while Evander Kane was back on the ice as a full participant for Edmonton's pre-flight skate at the Downtown Community Arena before they took off to Vancouver later in the afternoon.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned he's prepared for the possibility of not having Henrique available for their opening match of Round 2 Rogers Arena and that forward Mattias Janmark looks poised to fill his top-line spot if their team’s trade-deadline acquisition isn’t able to go on Wednesday night.

“[Henrique’s] day-to-day, so we're hopeful, but we understand that he might not be playing Game 1,” Knoblauch said following Tuesday’s practice.

Knoblauch further characterized Janmark as a versatile option whose offensive and defensive capabilities allow him to move up and down the lineup as the coaching staff sees fit. Still, he said there could be some extra rotation in that top-line position as Game 1 progresses, with individual players' roles and responsibilities at different times in the game playing a big part in determining who might slot into that spot at any given moment.

Janmark is a part of the Oilers’ perfect 11-for-11 penalty kill in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and could be summoned for defensive responsibilities at different times during the game, with Edmonton being limited as the road team without the last change.

That will likely result in other forwards like Warren Foegele, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane Dylan Holloway and others taking shifts on the top line in a ‘revolving door’ type of approach to filling Henrique’s potential absence. Winger Zach Hyman also has the extra versatility of playing either left or right wing alongside McDavid, bringing added flexibility for Knoblauch when working with his coaching staff to craft the best line for the situation.

“I think Janmark's a guy that everyone likes to play with,” Knoblauch said. “I think he's responsible. He can make the next play good with the puck, but I think it'll be a little more like competing. Janmark will definitely be there for some shifts, but whoever's playing well will move up and down.

“Janmark obviously is a huge part of our penalty kill, and making sure that he's fresh and ready for that, we’ve got a lot of guys that we think can move up and play there periodically.

Knoblauch added that this type of approach works well with their tendency to not worry too much about matchups when they have four lines rolling, which helps the team get into a good flow.

"I think we're best when not matching or juggling lines," he said. "I think usually when you're juggling lines, things aren't going well, and if we just have our regular four lines that are playing together, usually things are going well and we're not changing things."

Despite having a handful of traditional offensive options to slot into the top-line role, the head coach likes the potential of placing a defensive-minded forward into that spot who’s good along the boards, can help facilitate breakouts and lead the transition by getting the puck to the centre with speed to attack Vancouver's blueliners.

“I think the most important guys are the ones who can make the next play,” Knoblauch said. “Obviously a goalscorer is nice, but a guy who can break the puck out of the zone and get the puck into Connor's hands, and Leon's the same, those skilled players want to have the puck and not have to chip, chase and play a safe forechecking game.

Knoblauch continued: “There are times when that has to happen, but it's the winger's job to get the puck in the centerman's hands. A skilled centre is very crucial, and Janny's good at that. Now, that's one part of it. The other part of it is he is good defensively, and he'll be playing a lot of minutes against Vancouver's top skilled offensive players. And now you've got a defensive player who can help in those situations.

Above all, the coach says it would take a full-team effort to try and fill the shoes of Henrique, who's been an impactful addition for the Oilers since his acquisition at the Trade Deadline from the Anaheim Ducks along with Sam Carrick.

Henrique has recorded a goal and assist in the 2024 Playoffs playing almost exclusively with McDavid and Hyman at five-on-five, averaging 15:52 of ice time and helping contribute to his team's perfect penalty kill through their first five post-season contests.

"I don't think there's anybody that can do that regularly every single shift for 20 minutes a night for a seven-game series. I don't think we have a player to play recall in that situation," Knoblauch said. "That's where I think it's a little more about doing it by community."

The potential omittance of Henrique from the lineup would open up the chance for Connor Brown to get into his first game of the 2024 playoffs after he ended the regular season on a positive note with two goals and two assists in his last 12 games from the fourth line.

"Brown would be coming in, and as I said throughout the series it's been hard taking him out – especially at the end of the season where he'd been playing so well," Knoblauch said. "But just with positional needs, unfortunately, he didn't get in the lineup, but we believe he'll be a big part of it in the Second Round."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup for Game 1 vs. the Canucks:

Janmark - McDavid - Hyman
RNH - Draisaitl - Kane
Holloway - McLeod - Perry
Foegele - Ryan - Brown

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais

Skinner