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Can Trent Frederic build on his positive second-half metrics? | 31 Oilers Questions (Day 3)

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Aug 3, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 3, 2026, 18:29 EDT

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This August, Oilersnation will ask one question about every Edmonton Oilers player projected to be on the 2026-27 roster in preparation for the upcoming season. From Connor McDavid to Mattias Janmark, let’s ask some questions.

Stan Bowman has made some solid moves since taking over for the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2024. That said, two bad moves stick out: one is the midseason Tristan Jarry trade, and the other Oilers signing Trent Frederic to an eight-year deal.

The former made a bit of sense; Stuart Skinner needed a change of scenery, and Jarry had put up good numbers until that point. However, there’s no excuse for the Frederic extension. One can only hope that it doesn’t bite them in the end.

His second half was encouraging, but can he build on it? That’s what we’ll look to answer in today’s 31 Oilers Questions.

Can Trent Frederic build upon his second half?

The Oilers acquired Frederic from the Boston Bruins ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. He missed all but a handful of minutes in the regular season and was nearly invisible during the Oilers’ playoff run that season.

That was due to a high-ankle sprain, a notorious injury that takes a while to fully recover from. But it was even more confusing when the Oilers signed Frederic to an eight-year deal worth $3.85 million annually.

Still not right from the high-ankle sprain, Frederic had a horrific start to the 2025-26 season. After 40 games, midway through the season, Frederic had managed to score just two goals and three points.

The underlying numbers were somehow even worse, as the Oilers owned 30.77 per cent of the goal share with Frederic on the ice during five-on-five, as well as just 44.66 per cent of the expected goal share.

Frederic’s second half was a bit better. From Jan. 1 until the end of the season, Frederic scored two goals and four points over 34 games, giving him four goals and seven points in 74 games, yikes. But his underlying metrics were a bit more encouraging.

While the Oilers were still outscored during five-on-five action with Frederic on the ice, they owned 56.77 per cent of the expected goal share, all while out-shooting and generating more high-danger chances than they gave up.

After the trade deadline, Frederic was paired with Colton Dach. Together, they played 70:52 and spent just under 30 minutes apart. They also had strong metrics together, as the Oilers owned 57.14 per cent of the goal share and 71.98 per cent of the expected goal share. That’s while generating more high-danger chances than they gave up and outshooting their opponents.

Giving Frederic an eight-year deal was never going to be a good idea, but if he can build off the second half of the 2025-26 season, it may just be salvaged. He’ll likely never return to his 2022-23/2023-24 form, but having him be productive in the bottom-six will at least make the contract tolerable.

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