The Oilers look thinner than they should after Trent Frederic's latest setback

Staples, via the Edmonton Journal, put the hit on the table first. That matters because Frederic was not signed to decorate the bottom six.

Trent Frederic, Boston's 2016 first-round pick, was paid to play hard minutes, live at the crease, and make Edmonton heavier on retrievals. His eight-year deal carries a $3.85 million AAV.

The Oilers committed term and cap space to a specific playoff function, not a box-score star.

Frederic has only 4-2-6 in 67 games this season. The raw line is light, but the job description was never about clean offense.

You can see the frustration in the timing here, with another winger going down while the lineup is already stretched.

Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. That changes the whole support structure around Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Fans are fair to ask whether Edmonton bought enough insulation at the deadline.

Without Frederic, the Oilers lose wall work, net-front traffic, and one more forward who can turn an ugly shift into offensive-zone time. That is a roster-construction problem, not just an injury note.

Against Tampa Bay on March 21, the next test is simple. Edmonton needs more inside touches and more recovered pucks, because skill alone will not replace Frederic's trench minutes.

This is why the contract debate matters now. Edmonton paid for fit, and fit gets expensive when the games tighten.