The Edmonton Oilers’ roster shuffle took center stage on December 22, 2025, as the team faced the Vegas Golden Knights in a tightly contested NHL showdown. While the Oilers ultimately eked out a 4-3 victory, much of the pregame and postgame conversation revolved around the surprising healthy scratch of forward Trent Frederic and the sudden absence of goaltender Tristan Jarry, both of whom have played pivotal roles—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse—since joining the club.
Trent Frederic, inked to a substantial eight-year, $3.85 million per year contract during the summer by general manager Stan Bowman, found himself watching from the press box as Curtis Lazar returned to the lineup after missing two games with a leg injury. The decision, confirmed by Oilers TV’s Tony Brar and further detailed by Sportsnet’s Gene Principe, appeared to be months in the making. Frederic, once hailed for his physicality and two-way play in Boston, has struggled to regain his form since arriving in Edmonton at last season’s trade deadline. Injuries—most notably a high ankle sprain—have sapped his trademark speed and left him a shadow of his former self.
"Frederic’s foot speed this season (34.96 kph) is slower than last season (35.48 kph) and the playoffs in the spring (35.94 kph). He was 36.88 (92nd percentile) in the 2022 playoffs, and may never get back there," wrote Allan “Lowetide” Mitchell in a recent analysis, highlighting just how far Frederic has fallen from his peak. The numbers back it up: Frederic is producing a meager 0.45 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five, well below the 1.0 threshold that typically marks an NHL forward who can keep pace. Defensively, he’s making 1.38 major mistakes per 15 minutes of even-strength play, compared to the team’s winger average of 0.88. Simply put, the Oilers have been bleeding Grade A chances against when he’s on the ice.
The coaching staff, led by Kris Knoblauch, finally made the tough call. According to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, "Frederic healthy scratch with Lazar back after missing two games with leg inj. Regula returns for Stillman on D." The implication is clear: Knoblauch’s priority is to ice the best team possible, and right now, that means giving other players—like Lazar and Alec Regula—a shot at contributing, while Frederic takes a step back to regroup.
There’s a growing sense within the Oilers’ community that Frederic might be better served by a stint on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), where he could focus on rehabbing his ankle and rebuilding his skating speed and agility away from the pressures of nightly NHL competition. While some fans have been quick to criticize the player, others point to management and coaching as equally responsible for the situation. "Management and coaching should acknowledge the issue and have him work through it without costing the team," wrote Lowetide, echoing a sentiment that’s gaining traction as Frederic’s struggles continue.
Meanwhile, the Oilers’ goaltending situation took a hit as well. Newcomer Tristan Jarry, who had been expected to anchor the crease, was ruled out for a few weeks with an undisclosed injury. Gene Principe reported, "Kris Knoblauch ‘Connor Ingram will start.’ Update on Tristan Jarry out a couple weeks." But as any Oilers fan knows, injury timelines in Edmonton are rarely set in stone. "When the Oilers say that Jarry is out for two weeks that number is written on sand at the beach. It could be two weeks. It could be two months. It’s hard to know," observed one local columnist, reflecting the skepticism that surrounds the team’s injury reporting.
Jarry’s absence opens the door for Connor Ingram, who got the nod against the Golden Knights. Ingram’s NHL track record is a mixed bag—he’s shown flashes of brilliance as a steady starter but has also struggled with consistency and personal challenges. His recent AHL numbers have been less than inspiring, but the Oilers are hoping he can stabilize the net while Jarry recovers. Calvin Pickard, who played well in a recent 5-2 loss to the Wild, remains another option, but the pressure is on Ingram to seize this opportunity.
The lineup shuffle didn’t stop with Frederic and Jarry. Jack Roslovic returned after missing 11 games, providing a much-needed boost to the forward corps. Lane Hutson, who had played well during his stint with the big club, was sent back to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. On defense, Alec Regula replaced Riley Stillman, and the Oilers placed Clattenburg on LTIR. Looking ahead, Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen are both expected to be available sometime after January 1, 2026, offering hope for further reinforcements as the season grinds on.
For Frederic, the road back to relevance is anything but certain. High ankle sprains are notoriously difficult to recover from, and his decline in speed—from 36.88 kph in the 2022 playoffs to 34.96 kph this season—suggests that time and patience may be the only remedies. The Oilers’ investment in him was predicated on the belief that he could rediscover the form that made him a feared power forward in Boston. So far, that bet hasn’t paid off, and the team now faces a difficult decision: keep pushing him to play through injury, or shut him down temporarily in hopes of a full recovery.
As for the team’s immediate prospects, the 4-3 win over Vegas was a much-needed morale boost. With key players returning, others stepping into larger roles, and the goaltending situation in flux, Edmonton’s path forward remains unpredictable. The NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Oilers will need contributions from every corner of the roster if they hope to stay in the playoff hunt.
For now, Trent Frederic’s story is one of frustration and uncertainty. Will he regain his speed and prove the doubters wrong? Or will the Oilers’ big summer signing go down as a costly misstep? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: in Edmonton, the search for answers continues, both on the ice and behind the scenes.
With upcoming reinforcements and a much-needed win in their pocket, the Oilers remain in the thick of the NHL race, their fortunes tied as much to the health and form of their stars as to the resilience of those waiting in the wings. The next few weeks promise to be telling in the City of Champions.
