“If you look at the stat line, (it) doesn’t look very good,” said Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch of his newly-formed top line a few nights ago.
Minus-three in a 4-1 game? Yeah, that’s not great.
But plus-two, four goals, and five assists in a 4-1 game against the Vancouver Canucks? That’s a promising line.
Trent Frederic has turned around his reputation as a bottom-six player into a legitimate top-line regular with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl over the course of two similar, yet entirely different preseason games.
“It’s early. You see it as they got shut out,” continued Knoblauch. “They don’t get shut out very often. So you’re thinking, ‘doesn’t work’. But you know, we’re certainly going to try it a little bit longer.”
They didn’t for the Oilers’ win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, choosing instead to dress a much younger lineup with a focus on how they play on a roster made up entirely of players at their compete level. Last night, though, it was all about learning how to blend the rookies they’ve chosen with the veterans they already have.
Easier said than done when Zach Hyman, one of the Oilers’ most valuable yet underpaid assets, will be out of commission for the entire first month of the regular season, and his right-wing spot has been opened up. But for whom?
Correy Perry signed elsewhere.
It’d be a disservice to Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard to throw them up there on day one.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins typically plays left-wing, though he prefers center.
Vasily Podkolzin or Kasperi Kapanen—not likely.
So, Knoblauch placed Frederic beside McDavid and Draisaitl and glossed over his publicly stated and repeated desire to play center, in favour of this new-ish position on the right wing.
“Yeah, I’m playing right wing. So that’s a little bit new. I mean, not new, I played a little bit last year there,” began Frederic prior to his first game with McDavid and Draisaitl. “I’m just gonna get to the net.
“Work hard, try to get the puck as much as I can. Just enjoy it. It’s a great opportunity.”
And how about after the second game?
“It’s like a basketball player,” answered Frederic. “Get to the net, fight off good rebounds, loose pucks, try to screen when you can, (and) play good defensively.”
Whether Knoblauch sees room for Frederic as a centerman or not, he certainly sees a spot for Frederic on the top line, possibly well into the regular season.
“That line was clicking a lot more than they were the first night,” began Knoblauch post-game. “But Freddie’s got to be around the net. And I think about the first two goals—he obviously scores one of them—he’s also causing chaos, and that leads to some guys tying him up, and the other two get available.
“On one of the first two goals, he broke up the play on the wall, got on the forecheck to continue those pucks—something that Zach Hyman’s so good at. So Freddie’s got to be able to get them the puck. Be able to make a little play once in a while, and then obviously being around the net to just cause some chaos. And tonight, I thought he did a lot of those.”
It wasn’t just Knoblauch who saw how Frederic, McDavid, and Drasaitl could be the new status quo. Draisaitl commented post-game about how willing Frederic is to learn from the two star forwards, but most importantly, that he recognizes where he’s needed.
Players like Frederic seldom add another layer of star talent to duos as skilled as Draisaitl and McDavid, but they have a role to play, and as we saw on Friday night, they do it well.
“He’s got a lot of skill,” stated Draisaitl. “Obviously, he’s a big body and he goes to the net. I think most importantly, he’s willing to adjust to be successful on that line.
“He’s willing to do whatever it takes. And I think tonight we had a lot of good shifts; a lot of good looks.”
The 6’3, 221 lbs winger, yes, scored a goal and an assist in the last preseason home game, but also put up an intimidating net-front presence reminiscent of the days of Zach Hyman.
“I mean, he’s massive,” deadpanned Draisaitl. “He goes through the net. Who’s going to stop him? I don’t want to push Freddie around. I can’t. So that’s a lot to handle.
“And on top of that, he’s skilled. He can make plays (and) score goals. And I think on paper, it’s a great fit. I think today we saw a lot of potential.
“We’ll see where it goes.”
