Anaheim Ducks: Adam Henrique and Kevin Roy get new contracts

Adam Henrique

Just a few days ago I wrote a piece on how Adam Henrique and his line could be a saving grace for the Ducks this year, as well as a major part of their overall offense. Henrique was a breath of fresh air last season. He was just as much a part of keeping the Ducks afloat mid-season as he was during their run to get into the playoffs late in the season.

Henrique played in 57 games for the Ducks and racked up 36 points which included 20 goals. He developed great chemistry with speedy winger Kase which provided the Ducks with some much needed secondary scoring. He was also another reliable player for Randy Carlyle to use on the power play and penalty kill. Henrique signed a Five year, $29.125M million per that will kick in at the start of the 2019-20 season. He still has one year remaining on his current contract, so Henrique will still carry the same $4M cap hit this upcoming season.

Henrique expressed great interest in re-signing during his exit interview. He made it clear he enjoyed playing in SoCal. The $5.8M per season he will earn is a little steeper than I would have gone. However, with the reports that Ryan Kesler could miss significant time; the Ducks seem to be rewarding Rico for his ability to transition to the second line center.

On top of Henriques ability to put up points, he was also a +17. That shows he takes pride in his defensive responsibilities. When the team is healthy Henrique makes the Ducks depth down the middle hard to match, with Ryan Getzlaf and Kesler and manning the pivot.

An added benefit to Henrique’s deal is that it ends when he is 34. It allows the Ducks to move him potentially in the late stages of the deal. Another option would be to allow the contract to end without being locked into an aging player at top dollar. The Anaheim Ducks are a better team with Henrique, (33-15-9). They haven’t hamstrung themselves going forward, an overall good move for GM Bob Murray and company.