It’s the sort of item that makes you stop as soon as you see it.
Trent Frederic’s agreement with the Edmonton Oilers is… What?
This was the first year of Frederic’s current deal with the Oilers.
And, believe it or not, he has seven years left.
He signed an eight-year agreement before the season that would pay him $3. 85 million each year for the duration of the contract, totaling $30. 8 million.
This is the same player who played 74 games for the Oilers this season, scoring four goals with three assists, had a minus-15 rating, and averaged 11 minutes per night.
Yes, he is a physical person whose goal is not to score. He had 193 hits. He won 57. 1% of his faceoffs, a career high.
However, he has a contract that commits the Oilers to him until his age 35 season.
Was there so much rivalry for Frederic last offseason that the Oilers’ best option was to give him an eight-year contract?
There’s little possibility that if they had given him a shorter contract and then sought to re-sign him in two or three years, he would have asked for more money on an annual basis at that time.
It appears to be a contract the Oilers pursued for little apparent reason.
And while there is no valid reason to blame Frederic for what happened in the Oilers’ season, which ended with a first-round playoff defeat on Thursday night, he did not exactly help the situation. If anything, his contract exemplifies a front office that has made some bizarre decisions in recent years.
You have to hope that Frederic loves Edmonton, since, among all the players on this roster, his deal makes him one of the least likely to go somewhere else anytime soon.
