BLOG: Oilers players & coaches voice excitement over new additions

COLUMBUS, OH – From first-hand experience, either as their teammates or opposition, the Edmonton Oilers have a firm understanding of the kind of skill and character they’re adding to their locker room with the acquisitions of Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick.

Along with Thursday’s trade that also sees Troy Stecher arrive from Arizona to shore up Edmonton's depth on the blueline, the Blue & Orange have a good understanding of how their lineup is shaping up for the coming playoff push, and the players and coaches like what they're seeing.

"They are outstanding additions for us," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "It gives us a lot of flexibility with our lineup, especially with Adam playing a lot of left-wing or center, depending on what we need from game to game and versatility.

"Moving forward, there's going to be injury and lineup matching and a lot of stuff, so it's nice just to have that flexibility. Sam is also able to fill that role being a physical shutdown, versatile player who kills penalties and takes key faceoffs, so they're additions where we need them."

“I thought yesterday was a great day for our team,” captain Connor McDavid added. “Obviously we’re adding two great players, but great people as well. They’re character guys that can help our room, and their on-ice game is strong.

"I think they’re two great additions, and the fact that we don't have to send anyone away helps a lot.”

Edmonton gets to keep its previous forward group intact while adding two versatile centres to the fold who can play up and down the lineup, with Henrique projected to start on the wing on a scoring line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane while Carrick is slated to debut as fourth-line centre.

Both forwards are anticipated to play roles on the penalty kill and take important faceoffs as Anaheim's top two penalty killers and the players who took the first and third-most draws for the Ducks this season, finishing with respective 52.9 and 51.0 percent win percentages in the dot.

Including Stecher’s addition on the back end, the Oilers have addressed some positions of need before Friday’s Trade Deadline without making any subtractions other than futures, with their 2024 first-round pick being the major bargaining chip that brought Henrique and Carrick to Edmonton from Anaheim on Wednesday.

“Certainly I think they can bring some grit and some compete for sure,” McDavid said. “Adam obviously is having a career year and has been having good years back-to-back scoring goals, killing penalties and doing lots of really good things.

“With Sam, you know he’s a hard player to play against. He makes it difficult for other teams. I know when we were in Anaheim, he made it a long night in the face-off dot and plays hard and does all the right things.”

Corey Perry can attest to McDavid's assessment, saying they’re going to be important additions both on and off the ice after being teammates with the two centres at different times at the tail end of his 14-season tenure with the Ducks.

The 38-year-old sees Henrique as an underrated, versatile scorer who can contribute in the top six or provide added depth at even strength and the penalty kill from a third-line role.

“I played with [Henrique] for a few years. A tremendous person and a tremendous guy, Perry said. “He's a competitor. He's got that attitude that he wants the puck and he's going to do anything to have it. I think he's going to be a great addition to this team and he's going to help this lineup a lot.

"We're still getting our game in order and we're still putting it together and working away and plugging away, but I like the two additions we made. They're going to help this lineup. You want to hit the ground running at the right time, it takes steps throughout the season and we're taking those steps."

Additionally, the Oilers have two more centre-eligible options to add to their arsenal, and you can never have enough centres in this League – especially when you get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and teams' depth begins to come into play.

McDavid is a major fan of the flexibility that's been added to the Oilers roster, and from facing Henrique and Carrick many times over his career in the face-off dot, he's glad they're now on his side.

"It means you're strong in faceoffs," McDavid said. "Usually, centres are pretty smart players. I think having seven centres in the top twelve, you can't have enough hockey IQ on a team so I think that's a good thing."