Before March’s trade deadline, the one player I wanted the Edmonton Oilers to acquire for the playoffs, who wouldn’t cost a fortune, was Trent Frederic. I liked his size (6-foot-3, 221 pounds), his toughness, and his ability to put the puck in the back of the net, having scored 17 and 18 goals with the Boston Bruins over the past couple of seasons.

Lo and behold, the Oilers acquired Frederic in a three-team deal with the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils just before the trade deadline, bringing in Frederic and Max Jones, while sending out defenceman Max Wanner, Scott Lachance, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Yet, there were early concerns that the deal might’ve been a flop, thanks to a high ankle sprain that sidelined the 27-year-old and limited his mobility in his first couple of games while donning the orange and blue. But 10 postseason games later, he’s now settling in as a big and physical playoff presence for the Oilers with a nose for the net, exactly the kind of player the team hoped they were getting when they traded for him.

The St. Louis, MO native had been dealing with an ankle injury since before he was traded to Edmonton and missed 16 games down the stretch while recovering, before making his Oilers debut on April 5 against the Los Angeles Kings.

In his first outing as an Oiler, he made his presence felt early with a big hit on Kings’ D-man Brandt Clarke less than 10 seconds into the game, but he left the ice looking like he’d tweaked that high ankle sprain again, despite finishing the game and playing over seven minutes. Unfortunately, that game turned out to be his last of the regular season, as his injury flared up again and kept him out of the lineup in the remaining games of the regular season.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned before the playoffs started that Frederic would likely be ready for the postseason, but the question was whether he’d be up to game speed after missing so much hockey over the past couple of months. Despite those concerns, he was inserted into the lineup for Game 1 against the Kings in the first round.

He recorded an assist in Game 1 against L.A., whacking the puck in front of the net, and it getting over to Mattias Janmark, who batted it home. Still, overall, he looked a step behind and moved around the ice slowly in Games 1 and 2, and it appeared that his lingering ankle injury was holding him back.

As the series against the Kings progressed, Frederic’s mobility and overall play improved with each game. That said, a big part of that seemed to come from finding the right mix of linemates, as he was paired with Connor Brown and Adam Henrique to form the third line, showing chemistry early on, starting in Game 4.

In that game, the former Bruin nearly scored the overtime winner when John Klingberg’s shot bounced off the end boards and onto his stick for a solid scoring chance, but he couldn’t beat Darcy Kuemper. Then, in Game 5, Frederic had another Grade-A chance on a 2-on-1, but again, he couldn’t get one past the Kings’ netminder. Yet, despite not burying his scoring chances, he was bringing energy, and his confidence grew.

In an elimination game in Game 6, with the Oilers leading the series 3-2, Frederic stepped up and brought his best. He earned an assist on Henrique’s tying goal in the first period, and in the second, he scored his first goal as an Oiler. On an odd-man rush with his linemates, Brown made a silky pass to Frederic, who buried it past Kuemper, helping the Oilers secure a 6-4 win.

Overall, in the first round against the Kings, he was productive offensively, recording three points (1G, 2A) in six games. In addition, over the 10 playoff games he’s played in total, he ranks fourth on the team with 33 hits and looking at his advanced analytics, according to Natural Stat Trick, he’s sixth among forwards in scoring chances for percentage at 52.63% (SCF%) and seventh in high-danger chances for percentage at 62.70% (HDCF%).

That said, in the first round against L.A., we got a taste of his scoring touch around the net. Now, in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights, we’re witnessing the ‘tough as nails’ side of Frederic’s game.

In Game 2 against the Golden Knights, while Frederic was battling for the puck in OT, he took a vicious cross-check from Nicolas Roy in a ‘what were you thinking?’ moment. Frederic bled from the play, while Roy was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct, putting the Oilers on a five-minute power play that they failed to score on.

That said, if that had been a regular person taking that cross-check to the face, they’d be missing a week of work from their 9–5, their mouth would be hurting, and they’d be eating nothing but chicken noodle soup. But Frederic stayed in the game, remained on the bench, and got a front-row seat to Leon Draisaitl burying the game-winner in OT.

Additionally, in Game 4 against Vegas, Mattias Janmark clipped goaltender Adin Hill, sparking a scrum. Frederic then dropped the gloves with a tough customer in the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Nicholas Hague. It was a lengthy bout, lasting over 40 seconds, and while it may have seemed like Hague landed more punches, it appears Frederic did more damage, as the Golden Knights’ D-man appeared bloodied as he headed to the penalty box.

To add to that, Frederic’s tilt with Hague fired up the crowd at Rogers Place, energized the Oilers bench, and set the tone for a chippy, emotional first period — which may have given Edmonton momentum for the rest of the game.

Moreover, what made that sequence even more amusing was Corey Perry watching his linemate, Frederic, in a heavy tussle — because just four months ago, Perry himself was in a scrap with Frederic when he was as a member of the Boston Bruins. Fast forward to today, and they’re now teammates, a win away from advancing to the Western Conference Final. There’s nothing quite like playoff hockey, right?

Apart from the last game against Vegas, the trio of Frederic, Henrique and Brown had played the previous six games together, starting in Game 4 against the Kings, playing a total of 57:22 minutes and I feel that line was a difference maker in helping to turn the series around against L.A., combining for some timely goals.

During that span, they produced 3 goals for and only 1 against. As well, that line has tilted the ice in the Oilers’ favour throughout the playoffs, posting a 57.24 expected goals for percentage, and a 15-11 advantage in high-danger chances, while starting more frequently in the neutral and defensive zones than in the offensive zone.

It remains to be seen if they’ll play together in the next game, as Evander Kane took Frederic’s spot in Game 4, with that line producing two goals. Still, if the Oilers continue to make a deep playoff run, mixing and matching forward lines is almost inevitable. Head coach Kris Knoblauch can always return to the Frederic – Henrique – Brown line, as they’ve provided solid third-line minutes throughout the playoffs.

That said, regardless of where Frederic slots in the lineup, he’s showcased his ability to impact the game in different areas. With a nose for the net and a willingness to mix it up, Frederic is becoming a playoff force, and it appears the trade is starting to pay off for Oilers’ GM Stan Bowman.