Veteran Centre's Return Could Be Key to Solving Oilers' Penalty Kill Problems
The Edmonton Oilers have faced significant challenges on their penalty kill since veteran centre Adam Henrique last played a full game on January 3 due to injury. When Henrique was regularly deployed on the penalty kill earlier this season, the Oilers' special teams unit was performing at a respectable level, though not exceptional. However, in the games following his absence, the team's penalty kill efficiency has dramatically declined, creating what analysts describe as an ugly issue that needs immediate addressing.
The Statistical Impact of Henrique's Absence
During the first 42 games of the season, when Henrique led all Oilers forwards in penalty kill ice time at 1:42 per game, Edmonton maintained the 19th best penalty kill in the NHL with a clearance rate of 79.3 percent. This performance was notably close to the team's best penalty kill ranking since the 2020-21 season when they finished ninth in the league.
In stark contrast, during the 16 games since Henrique's injury, Edmonton's penalty kill has plummeted to 29th in the NHL with a concerning 69.2 percent clearance rate. This dramatic decline in special teams performance has been identified as a primary factor in the Oilers' inability to string together consistent victories during their January home stand.
Henrique's Unique Penalty Kill Abilities
While observers note that Henrique has lost some speed that affects his even-strength effectiveness, his penalty kill capabilities remain strong. On the penalty kill, success depends less on pure speed and more on hockey intelligence, positioning, and the ability to anticipate plays and cover passing lanes effectively. Henrique continues to excel in these defensive zone aspects of penalty killing.
Statistical analysis reveals that Henrique makes mistakes on Grade A shots against at a rate of just 0.39 per two minutes of penalty kill time. This places him among the more reliable penalty killers on the team, with only rookie Sam Savoie (0.27) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0.37) posting better numbers in this crucial defensive metric.
Current Penalty Kill Struggles and Potential Solutions
With Henrique sidelined, the Oilers have experimented with different forward combinations on the penalty kill. Connor McDavid has led forwards in penalty kill ice time during this period at 1:36 per game, followed by Mattias Janmark at 1:34, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at 1:29, and Sam Savoie at 1:16.
However, Janmark's performance has been particularly concerning, with a mistake rate of 0.78 per two minutes of penalty kill time, significantly higher than his teammates. This has led to questions about his continued role on special teams and even his overall effectiveness as an NHL player at this stage of his career.
Analysts suggest that an optimal penalty kill unit should feature Henrique, Savoie, Nugent-Hopkins, Vasily Podkolzin, and potentially McDavid if his workload can accommodate the additional responsibility. The potential recall of rookie Samanski could provide another defensive option for the penalty kill rotation.
The Broader Context of Edmonton's Special Teams
The contrast between this season's penalty kill performance and last year's is particularly striking. During the previous season, Janmark performed significantly better both in limiting mistakes on penalty kill Grade A shots against and in creating short-handed scoring opportunities.
As the Oilers look to improve their playoff positioning and overall team performance, addressing their penalty kill deficiencies has become a priority. Henrique's return to the lineup could provide what some are calling the secret sauce needed to fix this persistent problem and restore balance to Edmonton's special teams units.
