Oilers, Trent Frederic finalize eight-year contract

The Oilers acquired Frederic along with winger Max Jones from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline in March in exchange for draft picks and prospects. Frederic had suffered an ankle injury in February before the trade and only suited up in one regular-season game with the Oilers.

Despite re-aggravating the injury in that aforementioned game, Frederic played in all 22 of Edmonton’s games during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. He scored one goal and four points while logging an average of 11:24 per night in the playoffs.

It was an underwhelming showing for Frederic, but it was also clear the gritty forward was battling through a difficult injury that was affecting his speed. The hope for the Oilers is that a healthy Frederic can bounce back to the player he was with Boston over the past couple of seasons.

The 29th overall pick from the 2016 draft broke out with 17 goals and 31 points over 79 games for the Bruins in 2022-23. Frederic followed that up in 2023-24 with 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games, all while providing physical play and positional versatility for the Bruins.

The Oilers opened up $5.125 million in cap space by trading Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft pick earlier this week. Frederic’s new deal comes in at $1.3 million less than Kane’s for the 2025-26 season. Swapping Kane for Frederic as the team’s top power winger will likely lead to a drop in offensive output, but Frederic offers stronger defensive play and better discipline.

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