Oilers coach benches new forward vs. Hurricanes, healthy scratch might be next

Frederic was acquired by the Oilers at last year's trade deadline for a hefty price, and signed to an 8-year contract after a disappointing playoffs plagued by injury. They were clearly hoping he'd bounce back this season, but so far, it's been ugky.

Last night against the Carolina Hurricanes was another ghostly effort from Frederic. Brought in to be a physical presence, Frederic was no where to be found in a chippy game against a quality opponent.

Clearly Coach Knoblauch is seeing the same thing, as Frederic was given the least amount of ice time of any Oilers forward. Frederic saw only 7:08 of ice time, his lowest of this season.

Frederic's ineffectiveness was even highlighted by Zach Hyman's great play in his return to the lineup. After missing the first 20 games this season, Hyman was far more engaged and physical than Frederic has ever been.

The raw stats aren't flattering for Frederic at all either. In 20 games, he only has 1 goal, 0 assists, and a -8 rating.

To say this is a disappointment in year 1 of an 8 year contract with an annual salary of $3.85M is an understatement. Perhaps he really needs a trip to the press box might box for a healthy scratch as a wake up call.

The concern is that the Oilers are in it for the long haul with this player, and a wake up call needed already may just damage things further. Either way, Frederic needs to figure things out quickly.