As part of their acquisitions at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the Edmonton Oilers brought in forward Trent Frederic as part of a three-team trade involving the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils.
Edmonton acquired Frederic from the Bruins with half of his salary retained, along with Max Jones and the rights to Petr Hauser. The Bruins received defenseman Max Wanner plus a 2025 second round pick and a 2026 fourth round pick, while the Devils acquired the rights to Shane Lachance.
During the offseason, Oilers GM Stan Bowman saw fit to extend Frederic with an eye-raising eight-year extension with a manageable cap hit of $3.85 million.
However, Frederic’s first full season in Edmonton was nothing short of a disaster, resulting in many fans and Insiders calling his contract among the worst in the game because of the number of years he still has left.
Edmonton Oilers Forward Trent Frederic Opens Up About Brutal First Full Season In Edmonton
Frederic skated in 74 games in his first full season with the Oilers, but scored only four goals with three assists during that span.
He also didn’t register a point in four Stanley Cup Playoff games, as he and the rest of his teammates were eliminated in the opening round by the divisional rival Anaheim Ducks.
For Frederic, who played through an injury during the 2025 postseason, it was a difficult season for him to adjust.
“Going back last summer, I wasn’t able to skate until around probably now, started just barely getting on the ice again,” said Frederic. “For me, I think after the (Olympic) break, I would say I was probably as close as 100 per cent as I had been before the injury.”
“I think it’s unfortunate that we lost early, but it’s been great for myself just to get a full summer of training hard and early skating, and at 100 per cent. It’ll be good.”
Now-former Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch made Frederic a healthy scratch for the last two games of their opening round loss to the Ducks, something the forward said that he understood.
“I would say that’s fair,” he said. “I don’t think I started off great. Those two games you talked about, I think we were pretty good, playing with the two best players.
“But I don’t think I started off great, and as you said, I think I just kind of got lost who I was. I didn’t really have much of an identity.
“So hopefully, I’ve gained some confidence just getting away from the game and just enjoying it right now in the summer and having fun and working out and everything.”
Trent Frederic Is Looking Forward To Playing Under Mike Babcock
In controversial fashion, the Oilers hired Mike Babcock as their next head coach after he was cleared following an investigation by the NHL into his alleged conduct with Columbus.
For Frederic, he’s looking forward to playing under Babcock, who has not only won the Stanley Cup as a head coach, but also coached Team Canada to a pair of gold medal wins in Olympic play.
“I’m just excited to come back next year and just have a fresh start and pretty excited to have Babs [Mike Babcock] and get kind of a complete fresh slate.”
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