Mike Babcock made his point the hard way Thursday night: if he was going to sit someone, Trent Frederic was the one heading to the press box.
Frederic was scratched against the Carolina Hurricanes after Babcock had spent multiple games pushing his bottom six to be tougher, win more puck battles and make better use of the puck when they got it. The message was clear, and Frederic is still trying to carve out a real place in Edmonton’s lineup.
The 28-year-old has already shown one side of what he brings. In his last game, he dropped the gloves with Jack McBain, and Babcock said he appreciated it. But the coach also made it plain that fighting alone is not the standard.
“He couldn't walk around town for crying out loud. He did such a good job, and we respect that,” Babcock said, referring to Frederic's fight against Jack McBain in his last game.
“But there's certain things that we just expect from him, and we've gone through and laid it out as clear as you can be, and we expect that. And so that's what we're looking for.”
That expectation goes beyond throwing hits or answering the bell when things get heated. Edmonton signed Frederic to help drive the kind of minutes that can tilt a game: harder shifts, more work on the puck, more time in the offensive zone, and a heavier presence from the bottom three lines. That’s where Babcock wants the improvement, and that’s where Frederic has to deliver.
“Just playing harder. Being hard on the puck is the message,” Frederic said when asked what Babcock wanted from him.
Babcock’s frustration with that part of the lineup was already obvious in the aftermath of the Hurricanes game. Edmonton had only four even-strength shots through the first two periods, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for 10 points in a 6-5 shootout win. Still, the coach wasn’t interested in letting the result soften the criticism.
“Our toughness on the puck wasn't even close,” Babcock said afterward. “In saying that, the big boys came out in the third and brought their crowbars with them and they had the puck, they were competitive. We needed our bottom six to be more like that tonight.”
Frederic wasn’t in the lineup, but the criticism applied to the role he’s trying to win back.
“Just like anyone, everyone wants to play. Everyone wants to play more.
Everyone wants to score more. That's just human nature.
That's why everyone's at this level,” Frederic said.
“You listen to the coach and take the news, and you listen to what he has to say and his insight. And he has pretty good insight, so you just gotta take that, and hopefully it doesn't happen again.”
Frederic said he has people around him, including family, and that he’s keeping perspective even through the frustration.
“I have people I talk to, (like my) family. At the end of the day, I'm healthy. I have a good life, and I know I'm a good hockey player, and I know I'll get this going,” Frederic said.
“It's just like I say, it can be frustrating, but at the same time, (I gotta) work my hardest, do the best I can.”
For Frederic to get back in, Babcock wants to see the details that matter most to him: winning battles, finishing checks, keeping plays alive in the offensive zone and earning trust. That’s the bar now, and it’s not likely to move.
The Oilers have been playing well and getting healthier, which means the competition for spots is only going to tighten as more players return. Frederic knows the challenge in front of him, and he knows the answer has to come on the ice.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Face A Goaltending Question They Cant Ignore
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For a team that already has enough to monitor on the injury front around the league, this is the kind of goaltending twist that demands attention immediately. Edmonton now has to lean on its current options while Levi recovers, and the timing adds another layer of uncertainty as other clubs continue to get healthier or reshuffle their own lineups. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Just Missed On A Goalie Move Fans Will Feel
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For Edmonton fans, it is the kind of near-miss that only sharpens the discussion about how aggressively contenders have to chase impact talent. The Oilers know the ripple effect these goalie decisions can have, especially when rivals are willing to keep pushing until a deal breaks their way. In this case, Carolina kept pressing, but the path to Hellebuyck ended with another team taking advantage of the opening. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Secondary Scoring Problem Could Push Them Toward A Familiar Fix
The Oilers keep running into the same issue when the scoring dries up behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and a recent loss to the Maple Leafs put that imbalance back in sharp focus. Edmonton has the elite finishers that make it dangerous every night, but when opponents can lean hard on those two, the rest of the forward group has to chip in more than it has lately.
One possible answer sits in free agency, where Vladimir Tarasenko remains available as a proven scoring winger who could help without forcing the club into a trade market. For Edmonton, that matters because adding offense this way would spare the front office from parting with draft picks or prospects, while still addressing a need that has become too obvious to ignore. [Read more 🡒]