According to Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk, Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique performed well at today’s practice. He writes, “Been told he should play this series, not sure which game though.” Henrique missed all but one game of the series against the Vancouver Canucks, suffering from a lower-body injury that some believe was a high ankle sprain.
The Oilers have missed Henrique, not only because he is a productive veteran, but also because his presence in the lineup allows the Oilers to strengthen their forward group and split Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl into two different lines. Having a spread-out offence against the Dallas Stars may be essential in their Western Conference Final matchup, as the Stars are the deeper of two teams.
The good news for Edmonton is that Dylan Holloway has stepped up and contributed significantly to the Oilers’ second line. If Henrique is able to return, he would most likely join the team’s third line, which has struggled to score goals. Currently, that line comprises of Ryan McLeod, Derek Ryan, and Warren Foegele. With Henrique on that line, the Oilers’ scoring would be more balanced.
Other Oilers Playoff Roster Notes
Gazzola also noted that Evander Kane is not on the ice, which has been the norm in the playoffs. He’s been dealing with a sports hernia and has played only games. Some black aces are skating with the group today. The Oilers get set to face the Stars starting on Thursday night.
Dallas is the favorite going into the series and has home-ice advantage. Their scoring is spread out a lot more than the Oilers, but the Oilers have elite stars who have produced in bunches. Led by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton is hoping their top end outguns the Stars’ top guys and that the Oilers can get some run support from the other forwards, including potentially Henrique.
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