Boston Bruins

Trent Frederic Injury Update and How It Affects Bruins Trade Deadline

Published

4 weeks ago

February 27, 2025

Photo courtesy of the Boston Bruins/@NHLBruins on 𝕏

The optics didn’t look good as Trent Frederic struggled to get to his feet and limped towards the Boston Bruins bench before on Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the prognosis isn’t either.

Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco confirmed on Thursday morning that Frederic is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He was seen in the Bruins locker room wearing a walking boot.

In the grand scheme of things, Frederic’s injury doesn’t affect the Bruins lineup all that much. Riley Tufte will slot into his place on the third line tonight against the New York Islanders.

However, it drastically changes Boston’s plans ahead of next week’s NHL trade deadline.

Only 27 years old and a pending unrestricted free agent, Frederic is a hot commodity on the trade market. Despite only scoring eight goals through 57 games for the Bruins this season, the forward’s ability to play with a mixture of grace and grit makes him the exact kind of player that contending teams covet at this time of year.

READ MORE: Bruins Trade Chips Dealing With Deadline Uncertainty

The Bruins are not one of those teams.

With a record of 27-24-8, the Bruins have suffered through a disappointing season, falling far below the expectations and standard they’ve established for themselves for the last decade.

They are only two points back of a playoff spot, but with so many other teams also in the mix, it’s hard to envision the Bruins separating themselves from the rest of the pack at this point, especially after losing each of their last two games in overtime.

Even before then, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had already waived the white flag, saying he would have a “cautious approach” to the trade deadline. Now, though, Sweeney will have to be more aggressive as a seller with Frederic hurt.

Although he’s far from their only one, Frederic is considered the Bruins’ best trade chip. His days in Boston seemed to be numbered, as Sweeney’s comments all but signaled he’d be wearing different colors other than black and gold following the deadline.

However, Frederic’s injury makes him a damaged good. The Bruins may still be able to move Frederic if he’s able to play again before the end of the regular season, but even then, they won’t receive nearly as much in return as they would’ve if he were healthy.

Now, if Sweeney is going to acquire the young assets and draft picks that the Bruins desperately need, he’s going to have to trade another player he may not have been planning to previously.

Other players on expiring deals, such as Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie and Justin Brazeau, will now be the focus of the Bruins’ deadline plans. So, too, will players with terms left on their contracts, like Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle.

At this point, everything and anything is on the table for the Bruins, except for Frederic.