Adam Henrique is very close to returning for the Edmonton Oilers - where should be play when he does?
Adam Henrique is very close to returning for the Edmonton Oilers - where should be play when he does?
EDMONTON -- Game two is on tonight.
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The Edmonton Oilers will look to go up 2-0 on the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final tonight. Game time will be 6 PM Mountain time - and will be televised on Sportsnet and CBC.
The Stars will not go down without a fight. Especially with their home town fans behind them - the Oilers should expect a huge push from them today.
From the sound of Kris Knoblauch yesterday, there is a chance that Adam Henrique could play tonight. Knoblauch acknowledged that if he does, someone else has to come out.
But who? And where does Henrique play?
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The last time Henrique dressed for a game was Game two of the series against the Vancouver Canucks. Where is the best place to play someone who hasn't played in that long?
The bottom six.
But if you put Henrique in the bottom six, who do you take out? Here are three options I would consider.
Sam Carrick
Sam Carrick has brought a new dimension to the team's fourth line since being inserted into the roster. His physicality has been a welcome change - but he's certainly expendable to a degree.
Given that he doesn't play on the penalty kill, it would be easy to give Henrique his minutes and not risk any decline on the penalty kill. But by taking Carrick out and putting Henrique in, you lose a bit of that grit on the bottom half of your lineup. Henrique is still a physical player - but in a different way than Carrick.
Mattias Janmark
Mattias Janmark would be a relatively easy guy to replace for the Oilers. Henrique offers all of the things that Janmark does - except that Henrique gives you more options with your lineup because he also plays center, while Janmark does not.
This feels like the least disruptive substitution to make to bring Henrique back into the fold. Henrique can play on a penalty kill pairing with Connor Brown here and there to ease him back in and find his legs. Because the penalty kill has been dynamite for the Oilers, you don't want to mess too much with it. So maybe in Henrique's first game back you play the other two pairings a little bit more until Henrique gets up to speed.
Warren Foegele
Warren Foegele has been snake-bitten so far in these playoffs. The last time he registered a point was in Game two of the Los Angeles Kings series. He is clearly trying out there - he's hard on pucks and hustles every shift to make something happen for his team.
Foegele could use the mental break that getting pulled out of the lineup for a game would offer him. Then when he inevitably comes back in, he can be laser focused and fresh for his next opportunity.
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If Henrique comes back in for Game two of this series, I could see one of these three players getting taken out to make room. Oilers' fans won't have to wait long to find out.
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