‘They Were Definitely Having Conversations, Or Had A Conversation, On (Jeff) Skinner, On (Adam) Henrique’: Maple Leafs Inquired About Pair of Now-Oilers Forwards
Both Skinner and Henrique signed with the Edmonton Oilers on the opening day of NHL free agency Monday.
After making splashes on defense and in net on the opening day of NHL free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs were actively seeking to make additions upfront on offense following the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi.
According to TSN's Chris Johnston, Jeff Skinner and Adam Henrique were among their targets. On Tuesday’s version of The Chris Johnston show, Johnston revealed that general manager Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs had conversations with both forwards before the pair ended up agreeing to terms with the Edmonton Oilers.
"As I said, they were definitely having conversations, or had a conversation, on Skinner, on Henrique,” said Johnston.
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The Leafs, who are known for their elite scoring abilities within the club’s ‘Core Four’, lacked depth scoring and faced significant challenges when the postseason rolled around. Skinner and Henrique, both established depth scorers, were seen as two potential key acquisitions to address this need – especially when the top-listed forwards flew off the free-agent board early in day one.
What made the two appealing by the end of the day Monday was that both were seen to be cheaper options. The Leafs, who spent July 1 adding to their blueline and goaltending tandem, were tight against the cap and needed to address the middle six. The hope was to add some pieces on the inexpensive end that still held tremendous value through experience and skill.
Skinner, who was bought out of the final three years of his eight-year, $72 million contract by the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, has earned well over $100 million in his career and was said to be comfortable taking a pay cut to join a contender. He has over 1000 games of NHL experience and has never appeared in the postseason, making it that much clearer he was keen on joining an organization that could take him there.
Two Canadian teams emerged, his hometown Leafs and the Western Conference Champion Oilers. As we have come to know, the idea of playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who were fresh off a Stanley Cup Final appearance, proved to be what pushed him over the edge to sign in Edmonton. The former first-round pick ended up settling for a one-year, $3 million contract, stating Tuesday over Zoom, “It’s pretty obvious that they have a great team, and I’d like to be a part of that,” before adding “(That) sounds pretty good to me,” when asked about the possibility of playing with McDavid and Draisaitl.
Skinner has 357 goals and 313 assists, totaling 670 points in 1006 NHL games across two teams, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres.
As for Henrique, who the Oilers acquired at the 2024 trade deadline along with Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks, he played in 22 regular season games for the Oilers scoring six goals paired with three assists for nine points. In the postseason, he appeared in 17 playoff games and added seven points. Over his 14-year career, he has played in just over 950 games including the postseason and has scored over 530 points in the NHL.
The Oilers were interested in bringing back the forward and successfully signed him to a two-year, $6 million contract. Henrique admitted in a video that surfaced Tuesday that he had the opportunity to sign elsewhere for higher value but said his run in Edmonton was like no other, “It really did rejuvenate me,” Henrique emphasized. “Yeah maybe you sacrifice a bit of ice time or even I guess money at the end of the day. But to have that opportunity to win and to play in Edmonton, in front of those fans, was special for me.”
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The Leafs are now forced back to the drawing board. It was announced by the club on ‘X’ Tuesday evening that they have signed defensemen Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers as well as forward Cédric Paré to one-year deals – bringing their total signings to one forward, two goalies, and five defensemen.
Though we are still early into the offseason, Treliving and Co. will be on the hunt to add to the offense and maneuver around the cap constraints they face. The organization is allowed to exceed the cap ($88,000,000) by 10 percent before the start of the regular season if need be. However, many question marks are scattered across the lineup and trades shouldn’t be ruled out as an option either. Regardless, the need to fill the offensive gaps up the middle and on the wing remains a priority in Toronto.
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