LOS ANGELES — Trent Frederic will play tonight for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings, his first action since re-injuring his high ankle sprain here in a game on April 5.
“I’ve got a good amount of skates under me, and fortunately we have a Monday game to start the series,” he said. “I feel good. I’m excited if I get the chance.”
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch officially listed Frederic as “a game-time decision.” But Frederic exited the morning skate with the starters, and Kasperi Kapanen stayed out long after in a group that included non-players Evander Kane, John Klingberg, Derek Ryan, Max Jones and Cam Dineen.
That would place Frederic on the right wing of a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at centre and Jeff Skinner on the left side. Also, it looks like defenceman Josh Brown will get the nod over Dineen, with John Klingberg close but not quite ready to play.
Frederic, the Oilers primary trade deadline pick-up, has played just seven minutes for the Oilers so far. He’s a playoffs-style player — big and physical — and looks forward to taking his place on the Oilers.
“Go out, get my feet moving, play physical to start and get into the game right away,” he said. “I know playoff hockey from my past experience. I feel like the first 10-20 minutes, it’s very fast, and it’s different than regular season.”
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Babies, lines
Brett Kulak was on a plane from Calgary during the morning skate, flying into LAX after going home to Canmore, Alberta for the birth of the Kulaks’ second daughter — Skyler Brooklyn Kulak.
The baby came earlier than expected, according to Knoblauch, and Kulak is expected in the lineup for Game 1.
So here is how we believe the Oilers will line up tonight:
Hyman-McDavid-Brown
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
Skinner-Nugent-Hopkins-Frederic
Janmark-Henrique-Perry
Nurse-Bouchard
Kulak-Walman
J.Brown-Emberson
S.Skinner
The Kings hold their morning skates at their facility in El Segundo. They’ll line up like this:
Kuzmenko-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Byfield-Laferriere
Foegele-Danault-Moore
Malott-Helenius-Turcotte
Anderson-Doughty
Gavrikov-Spence
Edmundson-Clarke
Kuemper
Kings things
In five playoff series since winning the 2014 Stanley Cup, the Kings have won seven games. But this season they tied franchise records in wins (48) and points (105).
This is the best Kings team the Oilers have faced in Round 1. And, it is fair to say, it’s time for L.A. to prove that their playing style and roster can get past the Oilers, once and for all.
“Obviously if you want to make it all the way, you’ve got to beat them at some point,” Quinton Byfield told The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. “It’s good that it’s the first round. We got to get this over with.”
“It’s time for us,” said head coach Jim Hiller. “I don’t think it carries any special weight that it’s the Oilers, or Vegas, or somebody else. This is about us and we want to push through.”
Drew Doughty bridges the gap back to the Stanley Cup teams. He’s been through the lean years, and now he’s ready to be a true contender again. Of course, that means slaying the dragon that is Edmonton.
“Once you don’t win for so long, you start doubting yourself. Doubting a lot of things you do,” Doughty said. “It’s not that I’m doubting myself right now, but there are times I was going through where I was, and that’s not like me to do that.
“Yeah, we need to win.”
Up goes Brown
Connor Brown opened the 2024 playoffs in the press box as a healthy scratch. He didn’t get into the lineup until Round 2 against Vancouver, and from Game 3 on he didn’t miss a game for Edmonton.
Tonight, Brown opens the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs on Edmonton’s top line, centred by Connor McDavid. It’s one of those “good things happen to good people” stories, a hard-working winger whose persistence has been rewarded.
“A lot of adversity overcome. It took some resilience,” he admitted.
What did he learn about himself, through last year’s recovery from ACL surgery, to a second season for an Oilers team that’s had it ups and downs?
“Through that adversity and that resilience, I guess, just internal fortitude,” he said. “I’ve always had a high sense of belief myself, so it’s kind of nice when you get that put to the test like that. And that was a sure test last year, with some hard questions from some media members. Justly, though.”
It’s a different Oilers lineup this spring. An Oilers forward group that used to move Draisaitl up next to McDavid at the drop of a hat now has more depth. Brown gets a spot next to Hyman and McDavid, despite signing here as we thought would be a bottom-six winger.
“It was a lot to overcome, but at this point I’m just looking forward and excited to get ‘er going.”
