“The plan is to be back next year, yeah,” said Corey Perry just a day before hitting the ice at Rogers Place for the Stanley Cup Finals against the Panthers. Eyeing to play his 21st NHL season, Perry made it clear that he still has a lot to offer to the Edmonton Oilers. But he might not be the only one who could decide to stick around in the Oilers’ locker room for a while longer and give GM Stan Bowman something to be happy about.
It will be just five more games before the NHL officially hits the offseason. By that time, it’ll be clear whether the Edmonton Oilers had the vision and the determination to take revenge against the Florida Panthers for the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals loss. The defending champs have, so far into the playoffs, made an incredible impact with Brad Marchand, who came to Miami from Boston in March, just ahead of the trade deadline. During the same time, one of Marchand’s comrades from his former camp made his way to Edmonton. And now, while the Canadian winger could be on his way out of the Panthers’ roster next season, the Oilers could be holding on to their ex-Bruins star.
In a YouTube upload by the official Sportsnet account from June 7, Elliotte Friedman joined Kyle Bukauskas to talk about the ongoing drama between the hockey juggernauts at this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. During one point of the conversation, Friedman spilled the beans on Trent Frederic‘s possible future with the Edmonton Oilers.
Frederic was acquired by the Oilers Nation in March as a move to bolster its bottom six ahead of the playoffs. “I have to tell you one of the things that’s being rumored around here is that Trent Frederic might be sticking around,” Friedman’s words seemed to make even his colleague surprised, who evidently wasn’t expecting anything of the sort. However, things might not be confirmed just yet, as Elliotte pointed out that the Edmonton Oilers have other things to worry about right now.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA New York Rangers at Boston Bruins Mar 4, 2023 Boston, Massachusetts, USA Boston Bruins left wing Tyler Bertuzzi 59 and center Trent Frederic 11 react after a goal by center Charlie Coyle 13 not pictured during the first period against the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Boston TD Garden Massachusetts USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBobxDeChiarax 20230304_ams_ad7_0030
“I can’t imagine we’re going to find out during the final. They’ve got more important things to worry about, but that was something I heard,” the veteran NHL sportscaster explained in the 32 Thoughts podcast. Frederic will become an unrestricted free agent this summer with his two-year contract, originally signed with the Bruins at a $2.3 million AAV, coming to an end.
However, Frederic’s time with the Edmonton Oilers hasn’t been exactly one to boast about. When he was traded to his new camp, Trent was injured, which delayed his debut with Connor McDavid & Co. by a month. He played only one game with the team before getting injured again. In the playoffs so far, he’s played all 18 games(one goal and three assists), taking 19 shots and landing 66 hits.
With such a not-so-great record, Edmonton Oilers fans could rest easy knowing that Frederic hasn’t built back the valuation he lost during the regular season. As per sources, a three-year deal, projected at a $2.7 million AAV, could be offered to Trent. But first things first. The Oilers have a tough climb ahead, which could also impact Trent’s future with the team significantly.
The Edmonton Oilers’ triumphant run continues, albeit with a few fumbles
The Edmonton Oilers made it to the playoffs as the 3rd seed of the Pacific Division with 101 points to their name. However, in the postseason, Kris Knoblauch’s boys defeated both of their divisional comrades who finished the regular season above the Oilers. In the first round, Edmonton eliminated the LA Kings. This was the fourth-straight year that Los Angeles had to succumb to the Oilers and end their playoff campaign. In Round 2, things got intense.
Source: Instagram/Connor McDavid
Seeking revenge for what the Vegas Golden Knights did to Leon Draisaitl in 2023, the Oilers managed to even the scores this time around. With a 4-1 victory in the best-of-7 series against the Knights, the Edmonton team reached the Western Conference Finals, where they defeated the Dallas Stars by the same margin once again. The momentum carried forward to the Stanley Cup Finals as well, as Coach Knoblauch’s squad bagged a narrow 4-3 victory against the defending champions, the Panthers, at Rogers Place in Game 1.
However, the Cats quickly turned things around with a thumping 5-4 double OT victory at the Oilers’ backyard in Game 2, thanks to Brad Marchand’s historic feat on Friday night. Now, as the action returns to Amerant Bank Arena, could Trent Frederic and his teammates get back to their winning ways as their quest for revenge against the Panthers for the 2024 loss continues? What say you?
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