Analyst Points Out Growing Concern Emerging Around Trent Frederic

There’s a growing disconnect between what Edmonton Oilers fans want, what the team needs, and what Trent Frederic may actually be as a player — and that gap is becoming harder to ignore. It was evident again on Saturday night as the Oilers lost 3-2 to the Calgary Flames, and one analyst hints this shouldn’t be a surprise because this is the kind of player Frederic has always been.

That’s not good news if true, because the Oilers have committed eight years to Frederic, thinking he can be something that maybe he isn’t.

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On a recent episode of the Got Yer’ Back podcast, former NHLer Rob Brown didn’t sugar-coat his assessment of Frederic’s time in Edmonton. The core issue, according to Brown, isn’t effort on occasion or the odd fight. It’s not his skating or a previous injury. It’s that the edge fans are hoping Frederic will bring might simply not be in his DNA.

Brown acknowledged Frederic has stepped up at times — notably taking a fight for Darnell Nurse and also accepting a battle with the NHL’s top enforcer in Mathieu Olivier. He gave him credit for both, even though he suggested the Olivier fight probably wasn’t a good idea. But those moments have been isolated. What Edmonton needs, especially on nights when opponents are fully engaged in agitator mode — as the Flames were on Saturday –is consistency. And that’s where Brown sees a problem.

Frederic Is Not Built To Be What The Oilers Need

Both Ryan Rishaug and Jason Strudwick believe there is more “in there” with Frederic. Getting it out of him is and has been the challenge. Brown isn’t so sure.

“You don’t turn that kind of game on and off,” Brown explained, pointing to players like Ryan Lomberg, Adam Klapka, or former Oilers like Evander Kane and Corey Perry. Those players bring agitation, competitiveness, and discomfort every shift because that’s who they are. It’s wired into how they play. Frederic, by contrast, comes across as a quieter winger who finishes checks when available but doesn’t actively hunt momentum-changing moments.

Brown says he saw the same type of player in Boston when Frederic was with the Bruins, so he’s not sure why the Oilers think this player can bring something else.

That matters. Edmonton didn’t bring Frederic in to be invisible most nights and noticeable once every few games. Fans — and the team — were hoping for someone hard to play against every shift. Instead, all three hosts agreed Frederic is currently “very easy to play against.” Somehow, he brought a different reputation with him from the Bruins, but in 50 games, Brown argues he’s never seen any signs that kind of game exists within Frederic.

Confidence may be part of the issue. Brown suggested Frederic looks like a player devoid of it, with pucks bouncing off his stick and decisions coming a half-second late. It’s a huge problem that the Oilers haven’t seen sustained evidence that the edge is coming.

That doesn’t mean Frederic can’t help this team. If he finds confidence and raises his competitiveness level, he could still make a meaningful impact. But the bigger takeaway from Brown’s comments is sobering: the version of Trent Frederic fans are waiting for may not be who he truly is.

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