Trent Frederic makes his return to Boston with Oilers, still in search of his best spot in lineup
“Yeah, I kind of figured. I mean, I was probably done for the year or the regular season [because of an ankle injury],” said Frederic, who collected 55 goals, 109 points, and 307 penalty minutes across seven seasons with the Bruins. “It wasn’t sounding like we were going to get a deal going, so you put the two together.”
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It was the business side of hockey, with the Bruins receiving defenseman Max Wanner, a 2025 second-round draft pick, and a 2026 fourth rounder in exchange for Frederic, Max Jones, and Petr Hauser in a three-team deal that included the Devils.
“I mean, both teams are trying to do what is best for them and we probably made the Bruins better, hopefully we made the Oilers better,” said Frederic, who got engaged over the summer.
The Frederic trade was the kickoff to a number of deadline deals the Bruins executed. Also dealt were Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Justin Brazeau. Marchand and Carlo received warm receptions following Jumbotron tributes when they returned with their new teams. Frederic acknowledged his emotions would be stirring, as well.
“I was the first one to go. And then all the other guys kind of went. So, I mean, yeah, it’s definitely … I can see I could be emotional,” said the always affable Frederic. “I mean, a lot of those guys spent a lot of time here, a lot of good friends here. It’s a lot of people. And so, I guess when you come here it kind of brings it all out.”
Frederic ended up facing off against Marchand’s Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.
“Just weird,” said Frederic, who had 1-3—4 totals in 22 playoff games. “I think we kind of went after it this year. We didn’t really say much to each other. I was kind of looking forward to seeing him in the handshake line, but I think he was doing media things, so he sent me a nice text after.
“You never want to see Florida win, but he’s a good guy. He deserved it. He played well … I mean, if you can get any positive out of that, you got to see him win. And I saw all the work he put in throughout the year, so it was cool for him.”
Frederic has struggled offensively this season. He came to Boston with just two goals and 3 points in 34 games after signing an eight-year, $30.8 million deal.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said he’s still working on finding Frederic’s sweet spot.
“It’s been changed quite a bit from the start of the season, and it has for a lot of guys,” Knoblauch said about Frederic’s role. “For Trent Frederic, it’s being on the third or fourth line, giving us some physicality, being an all-around good player.
“Any time a new player joins a team, there’s always an adjustment period. Sometimes that takes two weeks, sometimes it takes two months, sometimes it doesn’t ever happen. You’ve seen players in the past coming into Edmonton and it never being a fit. Obviously, we’re committed to Trent. We think he’s a good player. We need to find him a spot where he can help us win.”
Frederic enjoyed a day off in Boston, which included a walk, a dinner with some former teammates, and the official sale of his South Boston condo.
“I took a loss,” he said with a chuckle. “So, still giving back to the community.”
Big crew of skating wounded
The Bruins’ injury group — forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Matej Blumel, and defensemen Henri Jokiharju, Jonathan Aspirot, Jordan Harris, and Michael Callahan — all skated in the morning, though coach Marco Sturm isn’t expecting any of them back imminently … The time of the Bruins-Kraken game on Thursday, Jan. 15, has been pushed back to 8 p.m. because of the Zdeno Chara number retirement ceremony. Ex-teammate Andrew Ference will host the event, and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:10 p.m.
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.
