logo
OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA
The Oilers have one thing left to try with Trent Frederic: killing penalties
Edmonton Oilers Trent Frederic
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Jan 10, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 10, 2026, 14:37 EST
Comments
Edmonton Oilers one thing left to try with Trent Frederic: killing penalties
If Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman had a hot tub time machine, he wouldn’t create the search engine “Lougle” or change the result of the Earnest Byner fumble – he’d trim six years off of Trent Frederic’s contract.
It’s been an unmitigated disaster, and unfortunately, a predictable one. 
What the Oilers need to do now is find a way to salvage some productivity from Trent Frederic.
And despite my own misgivings and frustration about the whole situation, one has to keep score on the positives as well. 
Frederic will fight the biggest and toughest bastards in the league. His scrap against Logan Stanley helped flip the script in Winnipeg on Thursday night. His willingness to fight shows he cares. He wants to contribute. 
This is the point we’re at with Frederic – what small victories can he provide that impact the game? 
His puck play isn’t going to get him there. Although tempting, healthy scratching Frederic for the next 38 games isn’t a solution, either. 
There’s one thing Kris Knoblauch hasn’t tried with Frederic: penalty killing. 

Leave no stone unturned

When I was first breaking into doing hockey play-by-play, I learned a lot from spending time with then-Bonnyville Pontiacs head coach Rick Swan. So let me share a common Swanny phrase: “We’re going to leave no stone unturned.” 
We are at the no stone unturned juncture of Frederic’s season.
Adam Henrique is out until after the Olympic break, the Oilers’ most frequent penalty-killing forward at the time of his injury.
Can Trent Frederic kill penalties? Can he skate in straight lines, fill lanes, see-puck, clear-puck, and provide some value to the team, while also gathering some momentum and confidence in his game?
I believe he can.
We need to find out because Frederic isn’t going anywhere.

He’s done it before

Much like scoring 18 goals in a season, Trent Frederic has killed penalties before, although not for long stretches. 
His 2023-24 season was his best offensively, scoring 18 goals and 40 points. It was also the season Frederic played the most penalty kill time of his career, with 51 minutes and 33 seconds total. 
While that’s not permanent penalty killer minutes, it’s still a large sample size. 
For context, he was the Bruins’ seventh-highest ice-time for a PK forward in 23-24. That 51:33 compared to the current Oilers, through half a regular season, would be third highest amongst forwards after Matt Savoie and Adam Henrique. 
Top 4-on-5 PK forwards:
  • Savoie – 72:30 
  • Henrique – 70:21 
  • Nugent-Hopkins – 46:13 
  • Janmark – 43:07 
  • Podkolzin – 42:46 
  • McDavid – 40:43 
  • Draisaitl – 25:40 
In two other seasons, Frederic played over half an hour on the PK. There’s enough sample to suggest penalty killing is not a foreign concept for Frederic at the NHL level. It’s not going to break his brain to be on the PK and can be a way he’s more engaged in the game, and tick up his ice-time a little bit more. 
Heck, Andrew Mangiapane has over 17 minutes of PK time this season. Frederic has been on the PK for literally one second, according to Natural Stat Trick. 
I’m not saying Frederic needs to even be a consistent fixture, but can Knoblauch sprinkle him into the mix? Is this one area that Frederic can feel like he’s impacting the game? 

If not the PK, then what?

They must try. 
Did they really sign a depth, gritty forward that they believed couldn’t kill penalties? Who did they think they were signing? 
If they don’t think Frederic can help out on the PK on a third or fourth forward pair, then you must question what the heck was running through their minds when they offered a max-term contract. 
Player, coach, and management have to set aside the first 44 games, acknowledge the worst-case scenario, and look for a solution because there’s no undoing the contract. 
A trade isn’t coming. A two-goal, one assist, seven hit game isn’t in the offing.
Frederic stepped up and fought a giant in Logan Stanley. Good for him, I mean that truly. Can he do just a little more to help right now?   
If it doesn’t work with Frederic on the penalty kill, you can at least say you’ve tried. Then continue the current mode of scratch, play, scratch, play, and moan about the Oilers’ salary cap flexibility till kingdom come. 

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

Featured

Editorials

Breaking News