“FREDERIC OUT. Trent Frederic did not take the morning skate in Anaheim today,” Sportsnet’s Mark Spector wrote ahead of tonight’s clash between the Oilers and the Ducks. Frederic was actually supposed to make his Edmonton Oilers debut tonight but had to push it ahead after Leon Draisaitl re-injured himself on Thursday. Unfortunately, it was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

Trent Frederic played the opening shift against the LA Kings and did exactly what the Oilers expected of him. The aggressive forward aided a pair of hits, took 2 shots at the goal, and looked for opportunities to score. So what was the problem? Frederic lasted 7:10 on the ice before flaring up his ankle sprain. With the forward gone, the Oilers have run out of fit players.

“With Frederic out, Oilers might only have 17 skaters. They don’t have cap space to recall anyone,” said Yardbarker’s Jason Gregor. Unfortunately, there is no other way out right now, either. Besides not having the Cap space to call someone from the Condors, the Edmonton Oilers can’t use the emergency recall either.

“They have to play one game with 17 skaters before they can use emergency recall roster spot,” added Gregor. Although that leaves the Oilers with one final and truly desperate option, the NHL journalist doesn’t think last year’s Stanley Cup runner-ups will risk it. “Only other option would be to dress Draisaitl or McDavid. Why risk that?” he explained.

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch isn’t taking any risks either. After all, Trent Frederic is far from the only injured star on the roster. Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Stuart Skinner, John Klingberg, and Evander Kane are all out with injury and won’t face the Ducks. Knoblauch’s biggest headache right now is getting everyone in top shape before April 19.

The Edmonton Oilers coach isn’t worried

It probably didn’t surprise Coach Knoblauch when the media asked for an update on Frederic ahead of the Oilers vs. Ducks clash. Yet, the 46-year-old didn’t seem too worried despite the challenging circumstances the Oilers find themselves in. “He’s doing all right. Obviously, he didn’t play very much… Things flared up, right from the first shift,” revealed the head coach.

He also acknowledged how the Edmonton Oilers are confident they’ll have a full squad when the NHL playoffs start in less than two weeks. “Again… like a lot of our players will be fine and be ready for playoffs. But immediate return is not going to happen,” explained the Oilers coach. So key players like Connor McDavid are still on track to recover.

McDavid sustained a lower-body injury on March 21, when the Oilers won 4-3 against the Winnipeg Jets. However, the team has remained tight-lipped about his return, except saying he would be ready before the playoffs. The 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast said he would be back in tomorrow’s game with the St. Louis Blues. But will he?

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers coach has been very confident about Leon Draisaitl’s return. “We’re not too concerned,” Knoblauch said on Friday. The head coach explained that “Leon’s pain tolerance,” has helped him play through some serious injuries. Take the NHL’s leading scorer’s 2022 playoff campaign, for example. The German ice hockey star played through the playoffs while suffering from the same injury ailing Frederic. So while they’ll be ready in time for the playoffs, the Oilers are struggling for now without their stars.