Trent Frederic, Oilers Agree to 8-Year Contract After Stanley Cup Final Run

The Edmonton Oilers and forward Trent Frederic reached a long-term contract extension Friday ahead of the start of NHL free agency on Tuesday.

Frederic and the Oilers agreed to an eight-year, $30.8 million deal, which will pay him $3.85 million annually.

The Oilers acquired Frederic in a March trade with the Boston Bruins, and he helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the Florida Panthers for a second straight year.

Frederic would have become an unrestricted free agent next week without a new deal, but the Oilers locked in a potential key role player for many years to come.

Originally selected 29th overall by the Bruins in the 2016 NHL draft, Frederic made his NHL debut in 2018. It wasn't until the 2022-23 campaign that he truly broke out with 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points, all of which were career highs at the time.

The following season, Frederic upped the ante with 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points, plus he registered a career-high 204 hits as a physical presence for the Bruins.

Last season, Frederic played in 57 games for the Bruins, and his production dropped off to the tune of eight goals and seven assists. With Boston trending toward missing the playoffs, he was traded to Edmonton.

Frederic was nursing an ankle injury at the time of the trade and appeared in only one regular-season game for the Oilers last season.

However, he played 22 playoff games, recording one goal and three assists to go along with 85 hits and 25 penalty minutes.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins remain in line to be the Oilers' top offensive contributors up front next season, but Frederic brings some much-needed sandpaper to the lineup.

Although his point production was lacking during the playoffs, Frederic is a physical presence who keeps the opposition honest, and he showed in Boston that he can chip in offensively when needed.

An eight-year contract is a huge commitment to a 27-year-old who has never had more than 40 points in a season, but he fills a role on a roster that already has plenty of offensive firepower.