Oilers Sticking With Questionable Trio After Tough Outing

The Edmonton Oilers lost 4-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, and there was a lot not to like about that game from an Oilers perspective. The most significant negative might have been what looked like a lack of chemistry between Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the third on that line, Trent Frederic.

Frederic is a bit of an experiment on that top line in preseason. With Vasily Podkolzin back in Russia after the unexpected death of his father, and Zach Hyman out with an injury, the Oilers are a bit shorthanded. Frederic was signed to an eight-year contract extension this summer, and the Oilers aim to maximize his potential and the new deal.

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“I want him playing with those guys for a bit to get some chemistry,” Knoblauch said. “Freddy hasn’t had the opportunity to play top six much in his career. We hope that he can complement them.”

Things didn’t go incredibly well.

McDavid and Draisaitl looked dangerous at times, but that trio was scored against twice when even strength and then again when the Oilers had an empty net. In one instance, Frederic couldn’t clear the puck at the defensive blue line. They were each minus-3 on the evening.

When asked after the game what Knoblauch thought about the line, he admitted, “Well, if you look at the stat line, it doesn’t look very good. ” However, Knoblauch also said he’d be going back to that line and that he’ll give it time to build up some chemistry.

Whether that’s due to a lack of options or the desire to really want that line to work, the coach isn’t giving up on the idea that Frederic will find a way to fit in with the two best players on the team. Frederic has scored 18 goals twice in a season in his career, so he has the ability to produce. The question is, can he keep up and elevate his game to a level where he’s a positive impact on two elite players? Draisaitl seems game to get him there. “If we can help him become more productive and become more successful, then we’re going to do that.”

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