3 reasons why Adam Henrique makes a lot of sense for the NY Rangers at the trade deadline
Adam Henrique likely won’t spend the remainder of the 2023-24 season with the Ducks, and it would be smart for the New York Rangers to make a move.
The Rangers have gotten hot following the All-Star break, and it looks like they will pull away from the rest of the Metropolitan Division should they stay on a roll. One way they can keep winning consistently is to pick up at least one strong asset at the trade deadline, and Adam Henrique could be that player.
Despite playing for what is yet another awful team in Anaheim, Henrique’s productivity will have strong contenders like the Rangers interested in acquiring him for a number of reasons. However, just because a team is interested in acquiring a talented asset and it may make sense on the surface, it’s always good to take a deeper dive into the issue.
So why would trading for Henrique be a smart trade for what is one of the NHL’s most well-built and well-coached teams? There are quite a few reasons, but three jump out more than anything else.
Sense of urgency should be at an all-time high in New York
For what should be the third season in a row, we will see the Rangers in the playoffs and trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 1994. It’s been three decades since the Rangers hoisted the Cup and a decade since they last won an Eastern Conference Championship, so for a team that finished the previous two seasons with triple digits in points, urgency must be at an all-time high.
While the Rangers are among the best in the NHL in a plethora of categories, including a top-10 ranking in goals scored, they need to keep flooring the throttle in 2024. Not only is their 71 points the best in the Metropolitan, but it’s also the third-overall points total in hockey. That said, it’s time for New York to make a major splash at the deadline and set the stage for what should be a deep playoff run.
Adam Henrique gives the Rangers much-needed depth at center
If you put Adam Henrique on even a decent team, his ability to score will go from above-average to something just short of spectacular. But if you put him on a great team that would benefit from scoring depth, then that team would be tough for even the NHL’s most talented groups to stop.
Henrique would give the Rangers that, as there is a major drop-off in scoring both goals and assists at center after Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Both Zibanejad and Trocheck are among the most consistent players in the offensive zone, but the next primary center on the list, Jonny Brodzinski, has just 14 points in 34 contests.
Enter someone like Henrique, who could immediately step in on the third line and become a legitimate scorer on the bottom-six. With 15 goals and a shooting percentage of 15.8, Henrique will find the net, on average, once every six-to-seven shots on goal, meaning opponents would have no choice but to play the Rangers differently should he come to New York.
Henrique is also somewhat consistent at winning faceoffs, with a faceoff win percentage of 53.6 through 50 contests. While the Rangers would primarily use him to help increase their scoring capabilities on the bottom-six, they can also call on Henrique to help win faceoffs during crucial moments.
New York has the assets to acquire Henrique
At this point, the Rangers would have salary cap issues if they tried trading a first-round pick for Henrique, and only a first-rounder. Now, this probably wouldn’t occur in real life, as the Ducks would ideally look for more assets than just a first-round pick, and contending teams would be happy to give up more compensation for the highly-coveted center.
But in simplest terms, the Rangers could realistically move a first plus a high-potential developmental piece like Kaapo Kakko, and that would put them under the cap. Again, this trade would likely involve someone like Kakko, plus at least one prospect, and a first-rounder to bring Henrique to New York, but it would be worth it.
New York is an elite hockey team with the assets to trade for a potential impact player like Adam Henrique. Not only do they have the assets, we already made it clear that they need a player like this to make it a more surefire deal that they will reach the next level in their quest for a Stanley Cup.
This isn’t to say acquiring Henrique would guarantee that the Rangers would cruise through the playoffs and win it all. But adding him would dramatically increase their chances to end their 30-year drought in 2024.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 12th)