Oilers Nearing Extension With Bruising Forward

Frederic, 27, joined the Oilers on March 4 via a three-team trade with the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. He only appeared in one regular season game for Edmonton, but appeared in all 22 playoff games. The St. Louis native scored four points (one goal, three assists) while primarily playing in the bottom six.

Prior to his arrival in Edmonton, Frederic scored 109 points (55 goals, 54 assists) in 337 games with the Bruins. He added five points (three goals, two assists) in 22 playoff games over three years.

Frederic's main strength is his physical play. He's had more than 150 hits in each of the past two seasons, and his 85 hits in the playoffs ranked fourth among Oilers skaters.

Even taking that into consideration, this would be an incredibly steep contract for a player like Frederic. It's not uncommon for teams to hand out long-term deals to bottom-six players to keep the cap hit down, but the savings don't seem to be there for Edmonton. With a tight cap situation already, the Oilers - who, as a reminder, still need to extend Connor McDavid beyond next season - could be making a mistake with this deal.

Ultimately, it feels like a panic move after losing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.