WJC: Adam Henrique - this year's Cody Hodgson

[SpitsOHL89]

I am going to predict that Adam Henrique will be this year's version of Cody Hodgson for team canada. Last year Hodgson did it all. He was strong at even strength, power play and short handed, and was also the guy taking all the big faceoffs. By the end of the tournament he was Canada's best all around player and could have been the mvp of the tourney which instead went to Tavares. This year, I think Henrique will be very similar to him. He is penciled in as the top line centre between his two Windsor linemates Taylor Hall and Greg Nemisz, and should also see power play time as well. I also wouldn't be surprised if he is on the pk and be counted on to take important faceoffs. Look for him to be among the scoring leaders by tournament end just as he was in the Memorial Cup last year where he quietly led the tournament in scoring. His game will be quiet but his production will not.

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[Classic Devil]

What do you think of Henrique's NHL potential? New Jersey fans have always been a little tentative about getting high on him because of the team he plays on.

 

[Homesick]

I am going to predict that Adam Henrique will be this year's version of Cody Hodgson for team canada. Last year Hodgson did it all. He was strong at even strength, power play and short handed, and was also the guy taking all the big faceoffs. By the end of the tournament he was Canada's best all around player and could have been the mvp of the tourney which instead went to Tavares. This year, I think Henrique will be very similar to him. He is penciled in as the top line centre between his two Windsor linemates Taylor Hall and Greg Nemisz, and should also see power play time as well. I also wouldn't be surprised if he is on the pk and be counted on to take important faceoffs. Look for him to be among the scoring leaders by tournament end just as he was in the Memorial Cup last year where he quietly led the tournament in scoring. His game will be quiet but his production will not.

Jordan Eberle might disagree.
2009
Cody Hodgson Canada 5g 11a 16pts
Jordan Eberle Canada 6g 7a 13pts

He's been the most dominant player in the CHL this year as well. I cant see them not putting him on the first line.
28GP 29G 31A 60Pts.


But you cant deny the chemistry Hall, Nemisz, and Henrique have

 

[Cowbell232]

When your on the line with the supposed Number One pick, that's going to cloud our vision as Devils fans. (Henrique being a Devils prospect and all)

But is Henrique really good or is Taylor Hall really good at making those around him better?

 

[SpitsOHL89]

When your on the line with the supposed Number One pick, that's going to cloud our vision as Devils fans. (Henrique being a Devils prospect and all)

But is Henrique really good or is Taylor Hall really good at making those around him better?

Obviously it helps playing with a guy like Hall and anyone would look better than they are by playing with him but Henrique is a perfect compliment for him. He is not fancy offensively he just simply does all the little things nessecary to produce. He is deadly around the net. I can't tell you how many times he has lifted a defenceman's stick out front of the net and then bang its in the net. He jumps on loose pucks around the net better than anyone.

 

[SpitsOHL89]

What do you think of Henrique's NHL potential? New Jersey fans have always been a little tentative about getting high on him because of the team he plays on.

To tell you the truth its hard to tell what kind of NHL player he will be. He will definitely be a solid player but in a great situation he would excel. Much like how he has benefitted from playing with great players in Windsor, if he plays with great players in the NHL he could put up a good number of points. A good comparison to him would be Travis Zajac. Maybe not totally comparable in the way they play but more in a sense that Zajac was never thought to be that great but once he got to play with Parise he took off. So for Henrique it probably comes down to the situation he gets put in, but either way he will surely be a very solid NHL player for the Devils as he fits the mold of a their kind of player perfectly.

 

[PensFan101]

To tell you the truth its hard to tell what kind of NHL player he will be. He will definitely be a solid player but in a great situation he would excel. Much like how he has benefitted from playing with great players in Windsor, if he plays with great players in the NHL he could put up a good number of points. A good comparison to him would be Travis Zajac. Maybe not totally comparable in the way they play but more in a sense that Zajac was never thought to be that great but once he got to play with Parise he took off. So for Henrique it probably comes down to the situation he gets put in, but either way he will surely be a very solid NHL player for the Devils as he fits the mold of a their kind of player perfectly.

The Zajac comparison sounds about right to me, although I don't think he'll put up the points that Zajac has. I see Henrique being a reliable third line centre, with the potential to be a Top 6 forward, but style wise he's similar to Zajac for sure.

 

[SpitsOHL89]

The Zajac comparison sounds about right to me, although I don't think he'll put up the points that Zajac has. I see Henrique being a reliable third line centre, with the potential to be a Top 6 forward, but style wise he's similar to Zajac for sure.

If Henrique gets put in a situation like Zajac where he gets to play with a superstar like Parise then he will definitely put up points, but yes as of right now a solid top 6 forward should be his potential.

 

[Crossbar Ping]

Oh you mean henrique will get a back injury before playing 5 nhl games then be a big question mark for having a future?

 

[PumpkinBombX]

I think Henrique will have a good tournament, but he's only going to get 2nd line PP and PK at best.

Eberle, Hall and Schenn/Kadri are you first line PP
and Eberle and Comier are probably the first line PK

Nemiez, Henrique, and one of Kozun/Schenn/Kadri are probably the 2nd line PP
Schenn, and a winger (hall?) will probably be PK 2.

As Canada rolls 4 lines effectively, each line is looking at about 10-12 min each of even strength ice time. Depending on the score of the game he could get up to 3 min of PP time though.

Canada doesn't usually get into enough penalty trouble have more than 2 pk lines, but if we're up enough he could get some PK time too.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

It's good to hear all these positives about Henrique. I have a feeling he probably paly wing for the Devils unless they want to go with 4 deep at the center position in the future:

Zajac, Josefson, Cormier & Henrique.

 

[member 71782]

Henrique is likely to have a WJC tourney comparable to his Memorial Cup tourney performance, solid, hard working player getting the results that doing all the little things will get you.

As for situations he plays in... if people want to see the Windsor players together five on five due to their chemistry then remember thos same players are also their first PP unit along with Ellis on the back end. I think they will all see some PP time together as well. Why would you not use that chemistry to it's fullest extent if you plan to use it at all. Add another D to those four and let them roll.

I can see him getting some PK time as well, blocks shots, quick and smart about moving the puck out of his zone without panicking.

As far as Taylor Hall having an affect on Henrique's production... of course he does. Henrique on the ice with Hall creates so many more chances for him that it has to have an affect. Henrique though, in the end, must be the one who either converts those oppurtunities or be the playmaker that sets Hall up for his goal and assist numbers to rise. It is not just a matter of Hall feeding him the puck. With that in mind just playing with Hall is not going to drastically improve your numbers, you do need the ability to convert those extra oppurtunities and Henrique obviously has shown he can.

As someone else said, how many times does he lift a stick in front of the net and bang it home? So many of his goals are in traffic in front of the net fighting for a bouncing puck while taking the punishment that comes from being out in front.

As for his NHL poitential, a third line two way player with some definite oppurtunistic offensive abilities with the ability to play top six minutes when required, and possibly full time second line in a few years with the right linemates. He plays a very good two way game, is not afraid to get into the corners and definitely can handle the traffic in front of the net.

I agree, he is a perfect fit with NJ's style. If you are realistic with your expectations you will not be disappointed and he will likely exceed your expectations.

 

[JEI]

Whenever I watch Henrique, I feel he just has that pro game about him. The way he plays both ends of the ice, his gritty style and the ability to slow down the game. He's come a long way since he was drafted IMO.

I think he'll be a good one. Maybe nothing high-end, but he's a smart player who will be a team favourite because of the little things he does.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I thought the Memorial Cup should have opened peoples eyes about him. They continue to dismiss his stats because he played with Hall. On the world stage like this, expect him to put up a goal a game with solid defense.

 

[bosoxfan929]

As a Spits fan and someone who've watched Henrique played since his rookie season, I can say I've throughly enjoyed watching Adam played and am glad to see him finally making it to Team Canada.
He was a wonderful surprise in his rookie year in Windsor and even helped Team Ontario won the U18? that year (2006-2007). I've always felt Adam was an underrated and under-appreciated player in the O. I'm glad he's finally getting the recognition he deserved.
Not gonna go out of my way and predict how well he'll play but one way or another, Adam is sure making us Windsor fan proud
Good luck!

 

[Cheli]

I'm looking forward to seeing him after hearing so much about him, but I am really struggling with his name. Help! I doubt it's Hen-reek, but On-reak (my poor attempt at a silent H French name) is sounding very awkward to me. I'm sure Pierre will be ranting about him soon enough, but it's killing me every time I see his name...

 

[weems]

Brayden Schenn prolly has the highest chance of being that player this time around. He's as well rounded a player as anyone on the roster and he's going to see good playing time thruout the tourny. If he can put up the points he will be right at the top of this teams most important players. Once we face a team like Sweden or Russia, he's going to be the guy asked to check the other teams best players.

 

[Classic Devil]

Henrique is likely to have a WJC tourney comparable to his Memorial Cup tourney performance, solid, hard working player getting the results that doing all the little things will get you.

As for situations he plays in... if people want to see the Windsor players together five on five due to their chemistry then remember thos same players are also their first PP unit along with Ellis on the back end. I think they will all see some PP time together as well. Why would you not use that chemistry to it's fullest extent if you plan to use it at all. Add another D to those four and let them roll.

I can see him getting some PK time as well, blocks shots, quick and smart about moving the puck out of his zone without panicking.

As far as Taylor Hall having an affect on Henrique's production... of course he does. Henrique on the ice with Hall creates so many more chances for him that it has to have an affect. Henrique though, in the end, must be the one who either converts those oppurtunities or be the playmaker that sets Hall up for his goal and assist numbers to rise. It is not just a matter of Hall feeding him the puck. With that in mind just playing with Hall is not going to drastically improve your numbers, you do need the ability to convert those extra oppurtunities and Henrique obviously has shown he can.

As someone else said, how many times does he lift a stick in front of the net and bang it home? So many of his goals are in traffic in front of the net fighting for a bouncing puck while taking the punishment that comes from being out in front.

As for his NHL poitential, a third line two way player with some definite oppurtunistic offensive abilities with the ability to play top six minutes when required, and possibly full time second line in a few years with the right linemates. He plays a very good two way game, is not afraid to get into the corners and definitely can handle the traffic in front of the net.

I agree, he is a perfect fit with NJ's style. If you are realistic with your expectations you will not be disappointed and he will likely exceed your expectations.

I feel like this akin to the Richards/Lecavalier situation before the 1998 draft. Richards wasn't thought of nearly as highly as Lecavalier, but Tampa drafted him to keep those two together and Richards turned into a Conn Smythe winner in his own right. Not to say Henrique is that good, of course, but he's got potential.

 

[Cowbell232]

I feel like this akin to the Richards/Lecavalier situation before the 1998 draft. Richards wasn't thought of nearly as highly as Lecavalier, but Tampa drafted him to keep those two together and Richards turned into a Conn Smythe winner in his own right. Not to say Henrique is that good, of course, but he's got potential.

Are you saying the Devils go after Hall?

Is that even possible for us to happen?

 

[bosoxfan929]

I'm looking forward to seeing him after hearing so much about him, but I am really struggling with his name. Help! I doubt it's Hen-reek, but On-reak (my poor attempt at a silent H French name) is sounding very awkward to me. I'm sure Pierre will be ranting about him soon enough, but it's killing me every time I see his name...

The Windsor play by play and the PA guy at WFCU pronounce it HEN-reek so I'm assuming that's the proper prounounciation. I know his teammate just calls him Henry too

 

[Classic Devil]

Are you saying the Devils go after Hall?

Is that even possible for us to happen?

My point was more than everyone thought Richards was dependent on Lecavalier, but Richards turned into a pretty good player in his own right. And I'd love to go after Hall but it ain't gonna happen.

 

[J15]

The Windsor play by play and the PA guy at WFCU pronounce it HEN-reek so I'm assuming that's the proper prounounciation. I know his teammate just calls him Henry too

It's HEN-reek, he isn't french, I remember him joking about how the media in Rimouski kept trying to interview him in French because they assumed he was French.

 

[Devils1029]

Do we dare to dream of a miracle? Since it took two firsts and a 2nd to get a guy like Phil Kessel who was a proven good player already in the NHL, but this is the forst overall pick. Perhaps we could offer up something similar like our 2nd in 2010, our 2011 1st rounder, a prospect like Vasyunov, and a solid young NHL player with potential toughness/scorer in Clarkson.

We are going to have a log jam of forwards in two years, especially with Zharkov, Bergfors, Halischuk, Cormier, Josefson, and Tedenby adding to a core of Parise, Zajac, and signed players like Elias and Rolston....

Then we take a goalie with our first rounder this year (hopefully the 30th pick)

Again...maybe just dreaming....

 

[Kevin Malone]

I don't know if I've ever seen a junior player ever come through Windsor that has had such a steep development curve as Henrique. This kid is substantially better year after year. But what I like most about him is his hockey smarts. He is always in the right place at the right time and his decsion making is superb. I can't even remember the last time he took a bad penalty. I deffinately think he will be a go to guy for the coaching staff at the WJC.

I expect for him to end up having a pro career similar to that of Ryan Kesler. A very good #2 centre who is very responsible at both ends of the ice. A type of guy who can play any situation and will be coveted by GM's around the league for his play and leadership.

 

[Classic Devil]

I don't know if I've ever seen a junior player ever come through Windsor that has had such a steep development curve as Henrique. This kid is substantially better year after year. But what I like most about him is his hockey smarts. He is always in the right place at the right time and his decsion making is superb. I can't even remember the last time he took a bad penalty. I deffinately think he will be a go to guy for the coaching staff at the WJC.

I expect for him to end up having a pro career similar to that of Ryan Kesler. A very good #2 centre who is very responsible at both ends of the ice. A type of guy who can play any situation and will be coveted by GM's around the league for his play and leadership.

I can't tell you how happy this would make me.