“And just like that, it’s like everything you fear the most rushing at you all at once.”

It’s a quote I recall hearing in the wake of the Edmonton Oilers Game 7 loss in 2006, and one that I’ve carried with me into my own coaching career. That Oilers team was destined for greatness, and while they ultimately fell a couple of goals short of the Cup (because of goaltending, imagine that!), I still think they were a team of destiny. That team capped an era of blue-collar hockey for the Oilers while adding the skill necessary to put the puck in and keep the puck out of the net.

That team was filled with players who excelled in the roles they were given. They were lucky, too, because they didn’t have boatloads of skill in reserve.

Imagine a team that possesses above-average skill while also deploying players in important roles for which they’re suited.

In the aftermath of the Oilers first-round defeat to the webbed feet of the Ducks, the tea leaves suggest the squad will largely return intact. Maybe they blow it all up or make a handful of significant moves, but really, how? They’ve got massive contracts to move or players they just acquired with massive contracts. In any case, who’s here and who isn’t is out of the coaches’ hands.

So what can the coaches control?

Trent Frederic

I read a comment somewhere that stated Trent Frederic was never given a sufficient chance to play a key role this season. This is true, but for the wrong reasons. Trent Frederic started the season on the first line with two of the best to ever do it. He was in front of the net on the power play. This is the move of a coach who wants to prove his general manager right.

Following that experiment, he spent the rest of the season playing all three forward positions on nearly every line, including the fifth. He was given a massive opportunity that didn’t work for him, and it didn’t work for the team.

When I’m conducting exit interviews, I like to get the players talking.

“When you’re at your best, what does that look like?”

What is Trent Frederic when he’s at his best? How........

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