Edmonton announces that Adam Henrique has moved due to injury

The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday that veteran forward Adam Henrique was placed on injured reserve and is not expected to return until after the NHL’s Olympic break. The decision comes a day after Henrique left Edmonton’s 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators, a game in which he played just two shifts in just over 2:25 of ice time before leaving early in the first period.

Henrique’s injury occurred during the opening minutes against Nashville as he blocked a shot by Predators wing Filip Forsberg during his final shift. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary then, but he never returned to the bench after that. Henrique will not return until after the Olympic break, which ends on February 24.

With that schedule in mind, the earliest Henrique could return to the lineup is Feb. 25, when Edmonton opens the road in California against the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers will play roughly 14 to 15 games before the league takes a break for the Olympics, meaning Henrique will likely miss nearly two months of action.

Through 43 games so far this season, the 35-year-old has recorded two goals and eight assists for 10 points while averaging 13:50 of ice time per game. His last goal came on Oct. 23 against the Montreal Canadiens, ending his 35-goal drought. That production puts him on pace for the fewest points in any season in his NHL career. Henrique scored 12 goals and 27 points in 82 games during the 2024/25 season.

The goals may be few and far between, but Henrique’s influence in other areas has not wavered. He leads the Oilers forward with 57 blocked shots, ranks second among regular Edmonton centers with 54.8 faceoff percentage, and is near the team lead with 235 faceoff wins. He also logged over 71 penalty minutes, the most of any Oilers forward this season, making his absence particularly impactful on special teams.

Henrique, who surpassed 1,000 career NHL games earlier this season, has 567 points (277 goals, 290 assists) in 1,036 games with Edmonton, the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim. He is in the final year of a two-year, $6 million contract signed in July 2024.

In response to Henrique’s injury, the Oilers will likely turn to internal options. Trent Frederick will re-enter the lineup after going three points and minus-10 in 41 games while giving up 103 hits, second most on the team. Andrew Mangiapane, who has 11 points in 40 games, remains another option. Edmonton coach Chris Knoblauch also briefly centered Jack Roslovic between young wings Matthew Savoy and Isaac Howard after Henrique left, indicating the combination could get an extended look.

The Oilers, currently 21-16-6 and second in the Pacific Division, begin play without Henrique on Thursday when they visit the Winnipeg Jets.