A surprising development may be brewing in Edmonton. According to rinkside chatter during Friday’s game, Elliotte Friedman noted during Saturday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast, there’s speculation that forward Trent Frederic could be sticking around with the Oilers beyond this season.
Frederic is a pending UFA with a cap hit of $2.3 million (the Oilers are paying a fraction of that due to retained salary by the Bruins).
While no official announcement is expected during the Stanley Cup Final, sources around the team suggest there’s interest in re-signing Frederic, who was acquired at the trade deadline. “One of the things being rumored around here is that Trent Frederic might be sticking around,” Friedman said. “I can’t imagine we’re going to find out during the Final… but that was something I heard in the building tonight.”
Frederic has looked increasingly comfortable in Oilers colors throughout the postseason, noted co-host Kyle Bukauskas. The 26-year-old forward hasn’t lit up the scoresheet or become a big-time playmaker or goal scorer. Still, he has shown signs of an ever-growing gritty two-way game and physical presence, and has fit in well with Edmonton’s bottom six. He has contributed timely plays during their playoff run and the coaching staff seems to be open to giving him more ice time, even though his minutes have been limited.
As for what the price of the extension might look like, that’s unclear. It’s not imagined that the cost would be high, likely working out the details of a short-term deal to give him a chance to up his value.
Given how well he’s meshed with the group, it’s not hard to see why general manager Stan Bowman might want to keep him in the fold. Whether a deal materializes remains to be seen, but Frederic’s future in Edmonton is definitely something to watch once the playoffs wrap up.
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