In the big picture, the Boston Bruins players are playing for this season (and their careers), and Bruins management is managing for next season.
The trade of Trent Frederic was inevitable, only I anticipated he would go to St. Louis, his hometown, as other recent moves suggest that the Blues are trying to trend back toward the rugged roster that carried the Stanley Cup off TD Garden ice six years ago. But Frederic, who is without a contract for the 2025-26 NHL season, is off to the Edmonton Oilers with fringe winger Max Jones for late-blooming, right-defense prospect Max Wanner and two draft picks, a 2025 second and a 2026 fourth.
Frederic could still sign with the Blues starting July 1, but in most cases like this such a player with prime years ahead of him is likely to receive in short order a life-changing contract offer from the team that newly acquired him (i.e. Freddy fanatics should build their ticket schedule for 2025-26 around the Oilers’ first visit to Boston, not the Blues’ first visit).
The New Jersey Devils were also involved in this deal (see full details). This also from Chris Johnston on X. While noting leaguewide speculation on the ramifications of Frederic’s injury, also note that Wanner has missed most of the season after taking a puck to the back of his head in December. The fact he is reporting to the AHL Providence is a sign that his return to action is imminent, but clarification awaits as some moves only amount to paperwork meant to satisfy the requirements of daily salary-cap compliance.
And this from longtime colleague and Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) Asst. GM & Dir. of Scouting Kirk Luedeke.
The Bruins host the nosediving Nashville Predators tonight at TD Garden.
Last fall, Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney closed the preseason executive press conference at Legends restaurant by telling Rink Rap that discussions were underway with Frederic’s representatives on a contract extension, but as the 2024-25 season dragged along without a result, it became less and less likely that the two sides would reach an agreement.
Alas, the Bruins’ perfect record of not signing impending UFA’s during their final season under contract remains intact. This doesn’t count, short-term, retirement-age deals for the likes of Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci and probably not for Brad Marchand either.
As the Bruins struggled last fall through a lifeless start and a coaching change, followed by a mini-surge and the leveling off into a long slog of a winter somewhat livened up by a surging David Pastrnak and the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, it’s become apparent that management did not see a future in Boston for Frederic.
The fact is Frederic had an enormous opportunity this season to take another step in his career when the Bruins needed it most, but instead his game meandered with that of the listing ship.
Given a lack of evidence, Bruins management ultimately realized that, if that next step is coming in Freddy’s career, it would not be realized in Boston. Thus the decision to move on rather than risk losing his rights for nothing (as they had last year with winger Jake DeBrusk). DeBrusk produced for Boston in the 2024 playoffs, justifying the Bruins’ decision to make him their own “deadline rental,” but even if the Bruins were able to make a surprising push in their remaining games (without Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Brad Marchand) and fight their way to the playoffs, Frederic had done too little this season to convince the Bruins that they would regret this decision.
Earlier today, the Bruins assigned right-shot defenseman Ian Mitchell to AHL Providence; with this announcement that Wanner will report to Providence, one wonders what considerations will be made for the immediate. With only two right shots on the NHL blueline, it looks like left-shot Parker Wotherspoon is looking as another game as the RD3.
Also a right-shot defenseman, Wanner will turn 22 on March 12. Drafted 212th (seventh round) in 2021, he has gone from a two-game Estevan Bruin through junior hockey and 90 AHL games with Bakersfield to the cusp of the Edmonton Oilers’ NHL roster. Only it made no sense for him to play seven minutes a night in Edmonton when more professional reps are far more valuable. Now if the Bruins think they’ve got a NHL-caliber, right-side defender in this 6-foot-3, 184-pound skater, then it adds critical depth and opens the question as to their offseason plans.
Heretofore, the Bruins have not been inclined to move a player of Brandon Carlo’s ilk and aren’t about to let a couple of so-so seasons at such a manageable, $4.1 million salary-cap hit dissuade them from his foundational position in their defense-first game, especially now that scoring has become so difficult. Unless the Bruins brass thinks Wanner is ready right now, it appears that the new acquisition’s NHL future is going to be approached rather patiently with McAvoy, Carlo and Peake taking up the NHL minutes. Perhaps it’s more of a signal to Mitchell, who has seen very little in the way of NHL opportunity this season.
Here is the Bruins’ press release:
BOSTON BRUINS ACQUIRE MAX WANNER, 2025 SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICK AND 2026 FOURTH-ROUND DRAFT PICK FROM EDMONTON OILERS
BOSTON – Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, March 4, that the team has acquired defenseman Max Wanner, a 2025 second-round draft pick (from St. Louis) and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones. Boston will retain 50 percent of Frederic’s salary for the 2024-25 season. Wanner will report to the Providence Bruins.
Wanner (WAH-nuhr), 21, has appeared in 22 games with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL) this season, recording one goal and one assist for two points. The 6-foot-3, 184-pound, right-shot defenseman has skated in 90 career AHL games, totaling eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points. The Estevan, Saskatchewan, native was originally selected by Edmonton in the seventh round (212th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Frederic, 27, has appeared in 57 games with Boston this season, recording eight goals and seven assists for 15 points. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound forward has skated in 337 career NHL games, all with the Bruins, tallying 55 goals and 54 assists for 109 points. The St. Louis, Missouri native was originally selected by Boston in the first round (29th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Jones, 27, has appeared in seven games with Boston this season. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound forward has also skated in 38 games with the Providence Bruins this season, tallying 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points. Jones has played in 265 career NHL games with Boston and Anaheim, totaling 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points, The Rochester, Michigan native was originally selected by Anaheim in the first round (24th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
#03/04/25#
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 