Trent Frederic spent his off day on Wednesday strolling round his outdated stomping grounds in South Boston earlier than assembly a few of his former teammates for dinner.
And on the day he was to face his outdated mates on the Backyard, the now-Edmonton Oiler reduce one in all his final official ties to the town of Boston, finalizing the sale of his rental in Southie.
“Yeah, I took a loss on it,” mentioned Frederic with fun. “Giving again to the group.”
Frederic, who was chosen within the first spherical of the 2016 draft (twenty ninth total) by the Bruins and spent eight seasons within the group, was the primary participant to be shipped out of city within the hearth sale final season. Quickly Justin Brazeau, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and captain Brad Marchand can be given their tickets out of city because the B’s started their rebuild-on-the-fly.
Whereas being traded from the one professional group you had been ever part of carries some degree of shock, Frederic at the back of his thoughts knew it was a definite chance. He was nursing a nasty ankle sprain and was on an expiring contract.
“I had a sense it may occur with the way in which the yr was going,” mentioned Frederic after the Oilers’ morning skate on the Backyard. “I form of figured. I used to be in all probability finished for the yr, or the common season. It didn’t sound like we had been going to get a deal going, so I simply put the 2 collectively.”
The commerce has labored out nicely for him. He was a part of the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup last, dropping to Marchand’s Panthers ultimately.
“He deserved it and he performed nicely,” mentioned Frederic of Marchand. “If you may get something constructive out of that, it was to see him win. I noticed all of the work he put in all through the years, so it’s cool for him.”
The B’s traded Frederic together with Max Jones in a sophisticated three-way deal that finally netted them a 2025 second-round decide, a 2026 fourth-rounder and minor league defenseman Max Wanner.
Whereas he had an inkling he’d get traded, the extent of upheaval the B’s then undertook was a little bit shocking.
“I suppose everybody was in all probability a little bit stunned when somebody like March goes, and Brando and CC,” mentioned Frederic, sporting a stitched-up gash beneath his eye courtesy of pleasant hearth from Andrew Mangiapane’s apply shot. “These had been big-name guys and massive core group. However they had been making an attempt to do what’s finest for them and it looks as if the Bruins are doing very nicely proper now.”
Not solely was Frederic a part of the run to the finals, Edmonton preferred him sufficient to signal him to a whopping eight-year extension value $3.85 million a season.
However carving out a long-term position has been harder. He began the season enjoying within the high six, however has since been dropped decrease within the lineup. He’s obtained simply two objectives and one help in 34 video games previous to Thursday’s tilt.
“I believe I’m nonetheless making an attempt to determine that out,” mentioned Frederic of his position. “I don’t know what I’ve created for myself. I didn’t have a fantastic begin however there’s nonetheless a whole lot of season left.”
Coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned it’s nonetheless a piece in progress.
“It’s been modified fairly a bit from the beginning of the season, and it has for lots of men,” mentioned Knoblauch of Frederic’s position. “For Trent Frederic, it’s being on the third or fourth line, giving us some physicality, being an all-around good participant. Any time a brand new participant joins a staff, there’s at all times an adjustment interval. Generally that takes two weeks, generally it takes two months, generally it doesn’t ever occur. You noticed gamers up to now coming into Edmonton and it by no means being a match. Clearly, we’re dedicated to Trent. We expect he’s a superb participant. We have to discover him a spot the place he can assist us win.”
As for his outdated staff, Frederic was glad to see a few of his outdated buddies discover success.
“They’re a hard-working group. Looks as if they enjoying nicely for the brand new coach right here,” he mentioned. “Looks as if everybody firing on all cylinders. It’s good to see (Morgan Geekie) is an absolute menace on the market and scoring. It’s good to see.”
King Leon
B’s coach Marco Sturm coached Oiler famous person Leon Draisaitl on the German nationwide staff and raved about not simply his expertise however his make-up.
“To begin with, he’s a fantastic man. He has what a whole lot of gamers don’t have, that famous person mentality. Once I say that, he needs to be the most effective each time when he’s on the ice. That’s onerous to do, however he actually needs it,” mentioned Sturm. “If he may play 60 minutes an evening, he would. As a result of he is aware of he could be the distinction. Having that mentality each night time, that’s onerous to do. It’s what makes him so particular. Overlook about his expertise, this alone, from the tournaments I had him, it’s fairly cool to see.”
Unfastened pucks
To accommodate for the Zdeno Chara quantity retirement ceremony, the beginning time for the Bruins’ Jan. 15 recreation in opposition to the Seattle Kraken has been pushed again to eight p.m. Followers are strongly inspired to be of their seats by 6:10 p.m. for the ceremony, which will probably be hosted by Chara’s former Bruin teammate Andrew Ference….
Sturm doesn’t anticipate any of the injured gamers – Jonathan Aspirot, Viktor Arvidsson, Michael Callahan, Henri Jokiharju and Matej Blumel – to be obtainable this week. All these gamers skated earlier than the staff session on Thursday morning. Sturm estimated that Arvidsson is the closest to a return.
