Ducks 2017-18 Player Review - Adam Henrique

With the upcoming season roughly two months away, AnaheimDucks.com is featuring a different Ducks player throughout the month of August (in numerical order). This annual Player Review series will highlight key stats while also keeping an eye on the 2018-19 campaign. Next up is center Adam Henrique.
The first half of the 2017-18 Ducks season will be remembered as a difficult one, punctuated by a litany of injuries that had the Ducks leading the NHL in man games lost by a significant margin. The struggle was reflected in the team's performance on the ice, as Anaheim got off to a middling 14-13-8 start over the first 35 games that had the club in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2012.
But there was one move in late November of that year that proved to be a shot in the arm for the Ducks, not to mention arguably the best acquisition of the NHL season. On November 30, Anaheim acquired centers Adam Henrique, prospect Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round draft pick from New Jersey in a trade that sent defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick to the Devils. As a talented and likeable young defenseman that came up through the Ducks system, Vatanen was a tough one to depart with. But in Henrique the Ducks brought in a dynamic young center that was desperately needed with a depletion at that position, notably with veteran Ryan Kesler missing half the season with a hip injury.

The Ducks couldn't have known, however, just how soon "Rico" would make his presence felt. The 28-year-old from Brantford, Ontario had points in each of his first five games with Anaheim, including three goals, and it only got better from there. He finished the regular season with 20 goals (and added 16 helpers) in just 57 games with the Ducks and quickly became a fan favorite while playing one of the most vital positions on the ice. He ranked third in the NHL with eight game-winning goals following his Ducks debut and led Anaheim in game-winners, while tying for second in goals and third in power-play goals.
Clearly he had made an impression on the Ducks brass, who signed him to a five-year contract last month that will keep in in Anaheim through the 2023-24 season.
"No matter where I would've been traded to, I feel like my game is complete enough to fit in anywhere. But coming to Anaheim, and starting with all the injuries and getting to play a lot, it was a seamless fit," Henrique said. "I don't think you can overlook that. I think that was a big reason why I was so comfortable there and playing well. The guys in the locker room were great to me. I felt like I had been there for years with some of those guys. That was important for me. Big reason why I wanted to stay and was so comfortable doing another five years. I'm excited it's done and excited for what's ahead. Looking forward to hopefully bringing a Cup back there."
Henrique celebrated the signing by posting a collection of photos on his Twitter account, one of him signing the contract and another of him wearing a Mighty Ducks hat as a young boy.

"They were always one of my favorite teams growing up, which makes this a little more special," he said. "It was pretty neat to go back through those pictures and see that. Everybody's dream is to play in the NHL, and to be able to play for one of your favorite teams growing up makes it a little bit more special."
HIGHLIGHT
When it comes to choosing the highlight-reel goal of Henrique's first season in Anaheim, there's no question. Midway through the second period of a December 18 game at Prudential Center in New Jersey, Henrique picked up a loose puck deep in the Anaheim zone and went off to the races. Seeing Vatanen blocking his path down the right wing, Henrique flipped the puck over the Devils d-man and chased it down himself before lifting a beautiful backhand over goalie Cory Schneider.

The goal alone was one of the best in the NHL all season, but the fact that it came in Henrique's first visit to New Jersey since the trade - and against the defenseman he was traded for - just added to the mystique.
2018-19 OUTLOOK
While Kesler returned to the Ducks last January, he was never completely healthy, and his outlook for the upcoming season remains murky. That only adds to the value of Henrique at his position, where he will be firmly planted as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 center depending on Kesler's well-being.
Whether Henrique can maintain the same scoring output remains to be seen, but the 28-year-old has scored 20 goals or more in four of his past five campaigns, including a career-high 30 two seasons ago. Whether or not he finds the net, he's an impactful veteran presence who has played at least 75 games each of the past five seasons.