Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Trent Frederic – The Hockey Writers –

The 2026-27 season is almost here, so let’s continue our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. The last player we looked at was Ryan Shea, and now we turn our attention to the first forward on the board.

Trent Frederic had a horrendous 2025-26 season, recording a measly four goals and seven points in 74 games. He had the fourth-worst plus-minus on the team at minus-15, while averaging just 11:02 per game. This was after the Oilers inked him to an eight-year contract with a $3.85 million cap hit. He was acquired from the Boston Bruins at the 2025 Trade Deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA).

He played just one regular-season game for Edmonton in 2025, after recovering from a high ankle sprain. However, he suited up for 22 playoff games that season, scoring one goal and adding three assists. Apparently, that was enough for management to give him a long-term extension. So far, that contract has been terrible, and he’s only entering year two.

His injury is in the past, and he needs a major bounce-back if he hopes to win over the fan base and find sustained success in Edmonton. Let’s take a look at his 2026-27 season preview.

Frederic Struggled to Find a Role

Frederic hasn’t fit in with this team and hasn’t established a role. He’s supposed to be a physical power forward who can occasionally chip in on the score sheet, but that hasn’t been the case. He started last season on the top line with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but that didn’t last long. He was quickly moved down, and they even experimented with him at centre, which didn’t work.

He moved around too much and couldn’t get comfortable. Frederic is at his best when he plays a simple game. Hopefully, new head coach Mike Babcock will give him a role as a fourth-line checking forward and keep him there. Babcock needs to trust his line with more minutes and responsibility. That should hopefully restore confidence in the struggling player.

Frederic also didn’t kill penalties, which limited his ice time. So, maybe it’s time he starts. That would be one way to give him a role, and he would embrace it. “I would love to have that role. Anytime you get out there a little bit more, you feel better about yourself, and teammates feel better about you. If that’s a shot block or getting it down and out, or killing 45 seconds, I would love that opportunity,” Frederic stated in an interview on OilersNow with Bob Stauffer on Aug. 12.

Worst Case Scenario

It can’t get any worse for Frederic, can it? 2025-26 should’ve been rock bottom. If he duplicates his offensive output from last season, that will be an absolute failure. Or, he could lose his job completely, which would be even worse.

The Oilers have a ton of players competing for bottom six roles, including Mathieu Joseph, Mattias Janmark, Max Jones, Colton Dach, Josh Samanski, and Isaac Howard. While Frederic has a full no-movement clause, he can still sit in the press box if others outplay him. If he’s constantly healthy scratched, that’s also the worst-case scenario.

Best Case Scenario

The best-case scenario is that he can replicate his offensive performance from the Bruins in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He scored 17 goals and 18 goals, respectively. It would be outstanding if he can score like that on Edmonton’s fourth line. That would definitely make him worth his contract. Realistically, at least 10 goals should be attainable.

The biggest thing for Frederic is finding an identity. He finished last season on a line with Samanski and Dach. That trio had a lot of promise and were starting to develop chemistry. If he can find consistency with them, the Oilers could be looking at their new “identity” line. Dach and Frederic bring the physicality and ability to create chaos in front of the net, while Samanski brings a smart, two-way game. That combination has the potential to be a very good match.

Frederic still has untapped potential, and at only 28 years old, we shouldn’t write him off just yet. The Oilers see something in him, but now it’s time for him to bring it out and show us what he can contribute This is a massive season for him, so let’s see how he handles it.

What should we expect from Frederic, and can he bounce back? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player previews ahead of this season.