The Edmonton Oilers are absolutely rolling right now. Since falling down 2-0 in their first round series versus the LA Kings, they have won 12 of 14 outings, which included five-game series wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. Now, they are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for a rematch versus the Florida Panthers.
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The Oilers have impressed in every facet throughout this run. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been exceptional, while they are also being supported by some great depth scoring. The blue line has looked better than anybody would have imagined, and Stuart Skinner is as locked in as ever between the pipes.
There isn’t a whole lot to nitpick about this current Oilers group, though no team is completely perfect. Their penalty kill has been disappointing, and a season-ending injury to Zach Hyman is certainly a concern. One other issue, however, is that one of their trade deadline acquisitions hasn’t come close to pulling his weight yet in this run.
Frederic Struggling to Make an Impact
The Oilers took a risk when acquiring Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline, as the 27-year-old was on the injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. Such injuries can be difficult to come back from, though the Oilers brass clearly believed he would be ready to go before the playoffs.
Frederic was able to make his Oilers debut in April, before re-aggravating the same injury which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. He’s been able to get healthy enough to be in the Oilers’ lineup for all but one playoff game, but hasn’t come close to being as impactful as fans had hoped.
When acquired, the Oilers brass was hopeful that Frederic could contribute to the Oilers’ depth scoring as they looked to go on another lengthy playoff run. While the team has been able to do that, Frederic has provided very little in the depth scoring department with just one goal and four points through 16 outings.
In Frederic’s defence, he had no time to get accustomed to his new team ahead of the playoffs, and also had a very lengthy time off. That can often make it difficult to get back up to speed, and that’s been apparent watching him thus far. There’s also a chance that he is gutting through his high-ankle sprain, which may otherwise still have him sidelined if it weren’t the playoffs.
One area Frederic has still been able to provide help in is the Oilers’ toughness. His 19.93 hits per 60 minutes rank fourth amongst all Oilers regulars, trailing only Vasily Podkolzin (25.51), the now-injured Hyman (25.08), and Kasperi Kapanen (20.33). With Hyman out for the remainder of the playoffs, Frederic will need to continue providing that physical play, if not elevate it even further.
Long Break Should Help Frederic
The one bonus that both the Oilers and Panthers have heading into the Cup Final is that they have a long break before things get underway. Game 1 is set to begin on Wednesday, meaning the Panthers will have had exactly one week off, while the Oilers will have enjoyed a well-deserved six-day break.
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This should help a player like Frederic get healthier from not only the bumps and bruises the playoffs provide, but also the ankle issue that many believe he is still suffering from. Being able to see him contribute more on the scoresheet would add even more to the Oilers’ unbelievable depth scoring in this run, and would play a huge role for his team as they look to make up for last year and bring Edmonton its first Stanley Cup since 1990.
