Trent Frederic didn't need to name anyone on Monday. The Edmonton Oilers forward's verdict on last season landed loud enough on its own.
“I'm having a lot more fun this year than I was last year, just fun to be at the rink,” he told reporters.
Read that again. A 28-year-old veteran, eight games into a new season, admitting out loud that the rink simply feels better this fall.
Mike Babcock was hired as Edmonton's head coach on June 23. Nobody needs a map to connect Frederic's comments to that date.
He also said someone wants to push his confidence higher, calling it “something I'm working on.” He didn't say who.
In a room that just changed bench bosses, fans will fill in that blank on their own. And it should sting for the old staff.
Building a depth forward's confidence isn't advanced coaching. It's the job description, and Frederic's own words suggest it didn't get done last season.
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Oilers' new mood hasn't reached Frederic's stat line yet
But here's the catch with the feel-good quote. Through eight games, Frederic has one goal and zero assists.
He's been held scoreless over his last five. Shouldn't a lighter locker room show up somewhere on the scoresheet by now?
The cap math makes it louder. He carries a $3,850,000 cap hit while Vasily Podkolzin has seven goals on $2,950,000.
Even Mathieu Joseph, at $1,000,000, has four points. Right now the cheaper guys are doing the heavy lifting in the depth scoring department.
It's like the new hire who loves the office, the coffee and his desk, but still hasn't closed a sale. Nice vibe, empty quota.
The team around him isn't waiting. Edmonton sits 6-1-1 with a +13 goal differential heading into tonight.
The road has been perfect at 5-0-0. Home ice has been a different story, with the Oilers going 1-1-1.
That's what makes this week interesting. Edmonton opens a five-game homestand tonight against the Minnesota Wild, followed by the Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Red Wings and Flames.
The depth chart is thinner, too. Jason Dickinson is day-to-day and expected out until at least Oct. 28, while Zach Hyman has dressed for just two games.
Those are minutes up for grabs for anyone ready to take them. Frederic finally sounds like a player who wants them.
Babcock now has five straight home dates to find out whether that confidence shows up on the scoresheet, or only at the podium.
Is Trent Frederic's comment a fair shot at the Oilers' old coaching staff?
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