Goodnews: Oilers considers contract extension with a high profile picture a priority.

The Edmonton Oilers didn’t have much cap space or buying power ahead of the trade deadline, heavily limiting the lineup upgrades they could bring in. And rather than fight through the nitty-gritty of the cap, Edmonton instead opted to make one very calculated and very impactful trade – acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth- and fifth-round pick in 2025. Aside from quietly acquiring veteran depth defender Troy Stecher, the big-name buy from Anaheim was Edmonton’s only Deadline move. And now it seems the Oilers are trying to stretch out the impact of the deal, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the team showed interest in extending both of their new faces.

Now, it’s no surprise to see Edmonton trying to get the most out of what they paid for, especially with both Henrique and Carrick set to become unrestricted free agents this summer. But Henrique is 34 and Carrick 32, likely limiting any contract negotiations to the short-term. That’ll be a change of pace for the veteran Henrique, who’s had just three contracts across his 14-year NHL career. What’s more, he’ll be roughly one full season away from his 1,000th game in the NHL when this season ends – meaning wherever Henrique signs next is likely where he achieves that tremendous feat.

Henrique has shown plenty of loyalty throughout his career – playing eight years in New Jersey and seven years in Anaheim – but a looming retirement could leave the 34-year-old considering if Edmonton is where he wants to finish out. There would be no shortage of interested parties if Henrique did hit the open market, though extending him would go far in solidifying Edmonton as a top team over the next few years.

But while Henrique is an established veteran newly exposed to the world of short-term deals, Carrick is on the eighth contract of his eight-year career in the NHL. He’s in just his third full-time NHL season, finally carving out a confident role on the 2021-22 Ducks roster. He’s totaled 22 goals and 37 points across 180 games since then, adding a strong 50.5 faceoff percentage and 362 hits. Carrick fills a lot of the boxes teams look for in fourth-liners, and he’s admirably serving in that role for the Oilers. But after cap retention in the trade, Carrick is contributing just $425K to Edmonton’s salary cap. That’s a great price for an effective fourth-liner, but richer prices could be too much to bear for an Oilers team that could afford space for young players. Carrick likely doesn’t demand much on the open market, but how Edmonton decides to approach his extension could serve to lock up their bottom six.

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Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid is on pace for more than 100 assists – can he do it?

It’s been another season for the ages for Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers captain has recorded 106 points through 62 games, a whopping 20 points ahead of Leon Draisaitl, who is second on the team in scoring with 86 points.

With 81 assists, McDavid is eight away from tying his career-high mark set last season. As it stands, McDavid is on pace to record over 100 assists, a feat no player has accomplished in the 21st century.

In fact, the last player to reach the 100-assist mark was Wayne Gretzky, who recorded 121 with the Los Angeles Kings in 1990-91. The only three players in NHL history to hit the 100-assist mark are Gretzky (who did it 11 times), then Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr, who each did it once.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen discuss the Oilers’ 7-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, and if the 2015 No. 1 overall pick can reach the milestone.

Tyler Yaremchuk: When you look at the Art Ross Trophy race, McDavid is nine points back of Nathan MacKinnon with a handful of games in hand. With 81 assists and 18 games to go, do you think McDavid can hit the 100-assist mark?

Colby Cohen: I think he can. I think because it’s in sight, he’s going to take his game to another level. But I hope it doesn’t stop him from shooting the puck more, because we always want him to be a little more selfish.

Look, I think he’s shown us that there’s no better hockey player in the world, and there’s probably no guy who has ever been better in terms of skill. Nothing is ever off limits for Connor McDavid.