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As evidenced by Trent Frederic trade, Bruins must take advantage of seller’s market
The Bruins were able to land a second-round pick and more as a result of their trade with Edmonton on Tuesday.
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Bruins are poised to be sellers ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
It’s a reality validated by the team’s decision to trade pending free agent Trent Frederic to Edmonton on Tuesday — and further reinforced by a ugly loss to a Nashville team later that night — marking the Preds’ first road victory over an Eastern Conference opponent this season.
With only a few days remaining until Friday’s deadline, Boston’s decision moving forward is all but etched into stone.
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It’s an uncomfortable and unfortunate spot to be in for a Bruins team once bracing for a fruitful playoff run.
But such is the hand dealt to an underwhelming roster — and the motivation to sell off even more pieces from this flawed depth chart should only continue to grow after Tuesday’s events.
It’s a sentiment spurred not only because of Boston’s dwindling playoff hopes (MoneyPuck has them with a 5.4 percent chance of playing postseason hockey), but due in large part to the state of a trade market poised to secure big returns for any team willing to shed assets.
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Given both the glut of teams currently on the playoff bubble and a limited number of rosters putting a “For Sale” sign in front of their dressing room, a seller’s market is already starting to develop across the NHL landscape.
And it’s precisely the type of environment conducive to a Bruins team looking to make the most out of what they hope is a shorter retool as opposed to a long-term rebuild.
Look no further than the return that the Bruins landed for Frederic — with Boston now set to pick in the second round of the NHL Draft for the first time since 2022.
While an Edmonton team currently last in the NHL in hits clearly coveted a forward with a bit of sandpaper to his game in Frederic, coughing up a second-round pick (along with an AHL blueliner in Max Wanner and a 2026 fourth-round selection) represents as a solid haul for Boston.
While several teams have paid a premium for presumed “rentals” like Frederic who is set to hit the open market this offseason, the 27-year-old forward’s value had seemingly waned this season.
After tallying 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) last season, Frederic has only scored eight goals and posted 15 points so far in 2024-25 — a sizable dip in production for a player whose appeal lies in both his snarl and middle-six scoring punch.
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Further complicating matters was Frederic’s health, with the forward currently tabbed as “week to week” after suffering a lower-body injury last week against the Maple Leafs.
But even with Frederic potentially out for the remainder of the regular season due to his injury, the Bruins still managed to add a second-rounder to their draft haul — while Edmonton opting to take Max Jones off of Boston’s hands also frees up a roster spot for both this year and next.
Even though first-round picks stand as the best avenue for Boston to rebuild its barren prospect pool, getting back into the second round of the 2025 Draft allows the Bruins to target a high-floor prospect to add to the pipeline.
For all of the discourse regarding Boston’s drafting whiffs under Don Sweeney, the second round has been a successful spot on the draft board for the Bruins over the last decade — with Boston adding NHL regulars like Brandon Carlo, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, Mason Lohrei, and Matt Poitras at that juncture of the draft.
We’ll have plenty of time to delve into the 2025 NHL Draft class in the coming months. But the second round should present an opportunity for Boston to select a right-shot, top-four defenseman like Charlie Trethewey or Carter Amico (both BU commits), a scoring winger like Ryker Lee, or a two-way pivot like Cole McKinney or Will Horcoff.
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And with a whopping nine teams within four points of a wild-card berth as of Wednesday evening, the writing is on the wall that multiple fracnhises will be willing to part with even more draft capital or prospects in hopes of punching their ticket to the playoffs.
If the Bruins were able to get a second-round pick out of Frederic, what could players with term on their deals like Charlie Coyle or Brandon Carlo command?
Even with his own injury concerns, Brad Marchand would likely net a sizable return before Friday — as would a 20-goal scorer and pending RFA like Morgan Geekie.
The Bruins are ideally hoping for a quick retool this summer — especially with the team looking to take advantage of a core foundation of talent currently in their prime between David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm.
As such, the Bruins may need to weigh just how much of their roster they intend to uproot before Friday — especially if involves dealing players who can still help them in the immediate future like a Geekie or Carlo.
But if teams are willing to part ways with first-round picks or younger players who have more to give in 2025-26 and beyond, it might be hard for Sweeney to hang up the phone.
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