The Boston Bruins are in a very competitive playoff race in the Eastern Conference, and even if it's unlikely they'll completely fall out of the mix, being sellers at the March 7 trade deadline might still be the best course of action.
“I think right now we’ve got to look at two paths,” Bruins president Cam Neely told reporters ahead of the Boston Bruins Foundation gala on Jan. 15.
“One that we’re buying. One that we may be retooling a little bit. We still feel like we’ve got a playoff team here. We certainly don’t want to jeopardize getting out of the playoffs because we made some moves that may be good for the future but not good for the present.”
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The Bruins rank 27th in scoring with 2.70 goals per game. They rank 25th in goals allowed per game, 30th in power-play percentage, 25th in penalty killing and 28th in goal differential. By almost every metric, in addition to the eye test, this team is not a contender.
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If the Bruins do decide to sell or re-tool a bit at the trade deadline, which players could be moved? One potential candidate is Trent Frederic, who can become an unrestricted free agent in July.
Not too long ago, Frederic looked like a key part of the team's future. He tallied career highs in goals and assists in each of the last two seasons. As a result, the expectation was that Frederic would take the next step and hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in the 2024-25 campaign. But the current season has been a difficult one for Frederic.
The 26-year-old forward is on pace to tally 22 points, far below the 31 he posted in 2022-23 and his career high of 40 last season. Frederic entered Friday with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 51 games. He has scored just twice in his last 21 games. He was held scoreless with only one shot on net in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden.
Frederic is a versatile player with his ability to score at center or on the wing. He is a very physical player willing to fight, throw huge hits and battle for prime real estate in front of the net. He also can kill penalties. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound forward plays a style ideally suited for playoff hockey.
Toughness is valuable in the playoffs.
Trent Frederic and Emil Lilleberg chuck 'em in a great tilt 🥊 pic.twitter.com/tzOrgD7MPQ
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 15, 2025
For these reasons (and others), contenders might view Frederic as a useful bottom-six upgrade ahead of the trade deadline.
Back on Dec. 15, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins were "getting a lot of calls" on Frederic. That was about a month-and-a-half ago, and a lot can change in that time, but it shows how much interest Frederic could potentially draw if the Bruins did decide to make him available. If the Bruins could get valuable draft pick(s) for Frederic, that should be explored.
Re-signing Frederic also shouldn't be out of the question for the Bruins.
Sure, this season has been tough for him. Bringing back Frederic makes sense at the right price. He's still in the prime of his career, and as noted above, his play style fits the Bruins. Canucks forward Dakota Joshua is a similar type of player and signed a four-year deal worth $3.25 million per season in June of 2024. If the Bruins could sign Frederic for that number, or close to it, that wouldn't be a bad contract.
But if the Bruins think that finding common ground on a new deal is unlikely, then it makes the most sense to trade Frederic for a draft pick and/or a prospect that can help the team re-tool in the offseason. Keeping Frederic and losing him in the summer as a free agent would be a bad outcome for the Bruins.
He's far too valuable to lose for nothing. That would be the definition of poor asset management.