When the Edmonton Oilers traded for Trent Frederic and Max Jones at the 2025 trade deadline, they expected to add a physical, forechecking winger who could outscore the opposition in the bottom six. What they didn’t know was that it would be Jones, not Frederic, who would make those contributions.

Jones struggled at first for the Oilers and didn’t suit up for them in their 2025 playoff run. He started 2025-26 in the AHL and earned a recall in December for another shot with the big club. This time, he made good on the opportunity.

His counting stats this season don’t jump off the page — 5 points in 21 games is standard for a depth forward — but Jones only played 8:20 per game at five-on-five. His 1.71 points per hour ranked seventh among Oiler forwards, making him more productive than most would assume.

Kris Knoblauch deployed Jones with caution. According to Puck IQ, Isaac Howard and Connor Clattenburg were the only forwards on the team to face a lower quality of competition. Still, there’s no question Jones delivered in easier matchups. He led all Edmonton forwards in goal share and expected goal share, with both sitting above 57 per cent.

Fourth-line players aren’t the most critical part of the roster, but when you can get that kind of efficiency from a player making $1 million, it makes a difference. It’s certainly preferable to the numerous times Edmonton dished out over $1.4 million to players like Mattias Janmark or Kyle Turris, who consistently lost their minutes at the bottom of the lineup.

At 28 years old, Jones lacks the skill and upside to be much more than a depth winger, but there’s value in finding players who can be effective in limited usage. He possesses the size and skating to win board battles, draw penalties and play a simple straight-line game. For his role, that’s sometimes all you need.

After his solid 21-game run with the Oilers this season, bringing him back on another low-cost deal around $1 million would make plenty of sense.