The Boston Bruins came into the season with a sizeable amount of optimism. They made a big splash in free agency on the first day, signing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov and letting go of some pieces they felt they couldn’t afford to keep around anymore in Jake DeBrusk and others. The Bruins also made a few trades later on and signed franchise goaltender Jeremy Swayman to a long-term deal at the 11th hour.
Ultimately, after one month and three games, Boston sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, the Bruins would be in the playoffs, but only by one point. One bright side, however, is that the difference between Boston and the Eastern Conference-leading Florida Panthers is only six points – a differential that could easily be picked up in three games with three wins from the former and three losses by the latter.
With a losing record of 6-7-1, however, Boston is looking for ways to improve their team. One of those ways, according to NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, is that they are fielding calls on forward/center Trent Frederic.
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While getting trigger-happy on trades this early in the season doesn’t sound ideal for any team, the Bruins may seek to make some changes in order to stay competitive in the Atlantic Division, not to mention the conference as a whole. On Monday, the Bruins signed Tyler Johnson to a one-year contract, and while it’s possible he can kickstart some sort of offensive rhythm, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of trading Frederic if these reports from Weekes are to be believed.
Pro: It Alleviates Some Dead Weight
This season, at least in comparison to the 2023-24 season, Frederic seems to have fallen flat. In 2023-24, he played in all 82 games, scored 18 goals, and racked up 22 assists (all career-highs). This season, he has played in all 14 games, scored one goal, and has only two assists.
To be fair, Boston hasn’t scored much this season as a team, but what also makes this a smart move is the fact he is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, he has a minus-eight rating, and has 17 penalty minutes. To add to that, the Bruins are paying him $2.3 million annually, money they could allocate to a defenseman or someone who can score more consistently.
Frankly, Frederic is living up to his perceived reputation of a bottom of the lineup center/winger so far, and for fans that is disappointing to see after he set career-highs in the last three seasons and was a combined plus-47 in those three seasons. Perhaps it’s time to move on from the $2.3 million, or at least some of it.
Con: They Would Be Removing Toughness
One thing Frederic brings to the lineup every night is toughness and the willingness and ability, to make the gritty, scrappy plays. As mentioned before, he may not be the most disciplined player in the world, but he is willing to fight some players’ battles they otherwise wouldn’t, and he is more than willing to go into the boards to fight for a loose puck.
Frederic fills the void Milan Lucic left in the 2023-24 season during his suspension, and the void that was left for some time after Shawn Thornton left Boston. Now, while there are some players who could fill in there such as Zadorov on defense, Frederic is the one consistent tough guy the Bruins have had since he made his debut in 2018-19.
If they were to trade Frederic, Zadorov can act as big body, and not necessarily an enforcer, but someone who is at least willing to drop the gloves. However, if Zadorov were to go down with an injury or to shift to a more defensive-focused or team-centered game, there aren’t many other players on the roster who would bring the toughness Frederic would.
Watch Frederic Closely in the Coming Weeks
While we are nowhere close to the 2025 Trade Deadline, it will be important to monitor how Frederic performs and to note if it is worth finding a trade partner for the 26-year-old. If he continues to be a non-factor, or worse, a detriment, chances are Boston will begin exploring options.
Frederic could be a valued asset on another team that is looking for more toughness and grit and a trade could pay dividends for Boston, who will be looking for goal-scoring, and conceivably, defense (if not both.)
The Bruins are back in action on Thursday, Nov. 7 when they take on the Calgary Flames at home. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
