There was a bit of a dustup at practice for the Edmonton Oilers on Friday morning as two players saw tempers flare and got into a verbal exchange.
As per Jason Gregor, “Walman and Frederic yapping at each other after Frederic tossed him down. More spirited battles than I’ve seen in a while in practice.” He added, “Much needed. A bit of animosity can be good.”
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Trent Frederic is a player the Oilers need to have take another step towards being a pest and a physical presence in games. Jake Walman, who has already proven he’s not above getting lippy and confronting other players, likely wasn’t about to back down. The two players saw things boil over.
The good news is that this was a minor incident that didn’t turn into anything serious or concerning. This is simply two competitive players letting things out.
Frederic signed an eight-year extension with the Oilers this summer, and things are not turning out as well as the team and the player might have hoped. Understandably, he’s at a point this season where he’s easily frustrated.
Walman has played well, but was returning from an injury and it could be that he didn’t like being taken down.
In the responses to Gregor’s tweet, fans are calling on the Oilers to bring the kind of energy and intensity seen in practice into actual games. Thus far this season, the team often appears disengaged on the ice, lacking physicality, emotion, and aggression. There’s a growing consensus that injecting grit and animosity could change the dynamic.
If the Oilers can find that kind of intensity from their current roster, it will be a big change for the team.
Fans believe that if a few players bring emotional commitment and aggressive energy to each game, it could transform the Oilers’ approach, making them a hard-to-play-against squad.
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