Heading down the stretch there were a lot of questions related to the health of the team. Last night though the Oilers did get the boost of getting Trent Frederic back into the lineup. Frederic was brought in at the deadline to help out the team's depth and the teams toughness. When the Oilers made the deal though Frederic was injured with a timeline that was unknown. Some insiders said he would only be out a couple of weeks while others said that he would not play a regular season game for the Oilers.
The good news for both Frederic and the Oilers is that he was able to come back before the end of the season. Having time for him to find chemistry with this team and have game experience to figure out the Oilers' systems is only going to help the Oilers as they try to win the Stanley Cup. For Frederic it gives him a chance to get back up to game speed and if he does make some mistakes the microscope of the playoffs is not on him yet.
In the game last night against the King Frederic played 7:10 and got 2 shots and 2 hits. Unfortunately, he did finish the night a -2 though. Although he didn’t play that much you could see that he is going to bring just what the Oilers want him to bring. He found himself in a couple of post-whistle scuffles, which is something the Oilers were missing with the absence of Evander Kane. While Max Jones has provided a bit of sandpaper since joining the team he doesn’t really have the top 6 potential that Frederic has. Having some grit in the top 6 will prove to be helpful once the playoffs come around.
I think once Frederic gets a couple more games under his belt he will become more and more involved in each game. Coming off a high ankle sprain is a tough injury to bounce back quickly from. It will take him some time to fully trust his ankle, but once he gets there I think he is going to move the needle for this team.
What does the Edmonton Oilers lineup look when healthy. dark. Next. What does the Edmonton Oilers lineup look when healthy
It has only been one game for Frederic so it is hard to judge what he can bring to this team, but I think the fact they got him in with still a few games before playoffs is a smart move. This gives him time to get confidence with this Oilers team and if he is able to score a couple of goals and get some good looks in the remaining games then I can see him making a difference as this team hopefully goes on another deep playoff run.
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