The Edmonton Oilers will want to be aggressive at the upcoming trade deadline in hopes of making a deep push into the postseason, and while their team has plenty of depth, they are expected to be buyers this time around. However, one of their current players, who is on a long-term contract, could be an X-factor when the NHL starts back up after the Olympics end.
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Trent Frederic, who signed an eight-year contract contract that started this season, has struggled to find his feet since signing the new contract. He has proven to be an effective striker in the past, but it appears he is still struggling with injury or a lack of confidence as the season progresses.
Fans have been extremely critical of Frederic’s play this season, and while he hasn’t delivered offensively, he has found a way to be useful in a deep role by playing more physically in the games leading up to half-time. If he can find the scoring touch he had with the Boston Bruins before he was traded, he could play a big role in another Oilers playoff run.
Frederic would eventually have to find a way
Frederic should be able to find a way to make a positive contribution, whether that’s on the scoresheet or in some other way; he should eventually be able to figure out a way to help the Oilers win. When the Oilers first acquired Frederic, he was dealing with an injury that had kept him out of action, and he ended up playing just one regular season game before the playoffs started.
When he started competing, fans immediately noticed that Frederic seemed to be a step behind and was a different player than they had hoped for. People attributed most of his performance to dealing with the injury and him not being fully healthy, so patience was at an all-time high, hoping he would come back if he were to renew with the Oilers.
Frederic has had a tough time this season. He started game one on the first line after a strong training camp and seemed poised for a strong campaign. Unfortunately, he has since been chained to the fourth line and has only scored two goals and added one assist for three points in 55 games.
Fans continued to wonder if Frederic was dealing with an injury, but as the season progresses, it seems like he’s simply in a slump. He hasn’t fit into the Oilers system as well as everyone had hoped, and with eight seasons left on his contract, fans have already started discussing what a buyout would look like, even though he has an affordable cap hit of $3.85 million on his deal, including trade protection.
Luckily, he has an affordable cap that justifies keeping it as a project and hoping it works out. If Frederic can continue to build on his strong performances leading up to the Olympic break, he can be a strong contributor for the Oilers. It would be nice to see him step up to the plate offensively, but if that doesn’t work out, continuing to be a physical presence will help the team earn their first Stanley Cup since 1990.
As of the break, Frederic is second among the Oilers, behind Vasily Podkolzin, in total goals, with 134.
Frederic is a solid player and everyone experiences a slump sometimes. This has been a very tough season for him, but fans should have faith that he can come back after the break and finally show why the Oilers spent money assets to acquire him in the first place, and extended it so long.
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