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Bruins’ Trent Frederic ‘week to week,’ Wahlstrom placed on waivers
Frederic's injury status could hinder his trade value before the deadline.
The Bruins are reshuffling their lineup ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Islanders.
Bruins’ forward Trent Frederic is listed as “week to week” with a lower-body injury, while Boston also placed forward Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers.
Frederic’s absence not only saps Boston of a bottom-six regular who has appeared in 57 games this season, but it also hinders Frederic’s trade value ahead of the NHL’s March 7 deadline.
With Frederic set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and the Bruins’ playoff hopes dwindling, the 27-year-old has been tabbed as a likely trade chip over the last few weeks given his blend of snarl and scoring punch.
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Granted, Frederic has struggled to generate offense ahead of a potential pay day. After tallying 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) last season, Frederic has only scored eight goals and posted 15 points so far this season.
Frederic exited Boston’s overtime loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday in the second period, as he was hobbled following a hit in the corner by Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe.
With Frederic sidelined, the Bruins will shift Riley Tufte and Justin Brazeau on a third line with Matt Poitras.
Wahlstrom’s spot on the waiver wire wasn’t much of a surprise. The Maine native and former Boston College forward struggling during his extended stint with Boston.
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Initially plucked off waivers from the Islanders in December, Wahlstrom was viewed as a potential bottom-six scorer who could find his game with a new team. But the 24-year-old forward finished with just one goal and one assist over 16 games with the Bruins — while getting assessed seven penalties.
Wahlstrom struggled in Boston’s loss to Toronto, landing zero shots on goal over just 5:45 of ice time. He committed an offensive-zone penalty while Boston was on a power play in the closing minutes of the second period, an infraction that eventually led to a momentum-shifting goal from Mitch Marner during the following period of play.
The Bruins didn’t make any call-ups following Wahlstrom’s placement on the waiver wire, although it could open the door for Providence forwards like Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell to earn another look up in the NHL ranks moving forward.
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