When Edmonton Oilers forward Trent Frederic spoke to Boston media on Thursday upon his return to the city, he was asked about his time with the Bruins and the greats who came and left the team. He talked about their impact and their role in the organization. When asked about his role with the Oilers, he gave a somewhat baffling answer.
“I guess I’m still trying to figure that out,” he said. He then added, “I don’t know what I’ve created for myself here, I didn’t get off to a good start.”
While he’s not wrong that his start hasn’t exactly been great (downright terrible, actually), the fact that he doesn’t know what his role is seems like a headache. Perhaps Frederic, who was paired with Connor McDavid at the start of the season, needs to be kept on a tight leash. That didn’t sit well with him and might have given him the false sense that the Oilers wanted him to be a top-six scorer.
He is not a top scorer.
However, he has now played more than 20 games in a bottom-six role, and it should be clear what this Oilers team needs from him. The fact that he doesn’t know is a problem.
The Oilers clearly defined Frederic’s role when they signed him
Frederic got a deal for much longer than anyone expected because General Manager Stan Bowman viewed him as something of a unicorn. “It was a great experience to get to know him as a person because he has many qualities that I think are very important for a successful team,” Bowman said. “He is incredibly competitive, [a] Great teammate, great teammate. He brings an element that I think you need, which is very competitive.”
“He’s a very unique player with the skills that he has. He’s a big guy, he’s a physical player, he’s not afraid. He has that intimidation factor where he goes to the other team’s bench and challenges everyone, like stop messing with our group. That’s something that I find, you either have that or you don’t. It’s really hard to bluff your way through that. And he’s just that way naturally,” he added.
That sounds like a clearly defined role.
The question becomes: how does Frederic not understand what his job is? The Oilers General Manager was clear when talking about the signing. It must be assumed that the organization has had this conversation with Frederic. Yet he doesn’t naturally intimidate people, isn’t that physical, and doesn’t challenge anyone. Earlier this year, he even admitted that no one wants to fight a man with one goal, before ultimately taking on NHL heavyweight in Mathieu Olivier and getting badly beaten.
If Frederic doesn’t realize it now, when will he? This is a player the Oilers have had for eight seasons. If there was ever a season that proves you understand why the franchise committed to you, it’s year one.
Next: Jarry on IR and Oilers call up Ingram, amid roster moves
#Trent #Frederics #baffling #response #role #Oilers #worried