We are just nine days away from the 2025 NHL trade deadline. On Sunday, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney basically waived the white flag on the 2024-25 season, and rightfully so, saying that they are taking a “cautious approach” at the deadline this season.
That is very unfamiliar territory for Sweeney and the Bruins who are usually buyers this time of year, but for the first time in nearly a decade, they are not going that route. Years of selling off first-round draft picks and whatever else they had at their disposal is catching up with the Black and Gold.
A retool is the right way to go as a full-blown rebuild would take way too long with their new core players, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman in their prime. Sell what you can by March 7 at 3 p.m. ET and look forward to next season. Even some roster shake-up moves this summer are not out of the question. Two Boston forwards who are underperforming are reportedly drawing some trade deadline interest from other teams.
Bruins forwards Trent Frederic & Justin Brazeau reportedly drawing trade interest from other teams
According to Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, forwards Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau are names to keep an eye on with the deadline approaching. This makes total sense and this an a chance for Sweeney to move the underperforming forwards and get some assets in return. Both are on expiring contracts and are not likely to be back next season and beyond.
You might be thinking that it’s strange that teams would be focusing their attention on those players, but it makes sense. Both are underperforming, but they bring a playoff-style part of their game to a contender. Frederic is someone who brings toughness to a lineup and despite struggling this season offensively, he could be a sneaky good production addition to the bottom of a team’s lineup for the postseason.
Brazeau broke out last season and earlier this year, but since the first of the year, he has struggled. Like Frederic, he brings some toughness with a big frame that isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas and do some work. He scored in last season’s second-round series against the Florida Panthers and he could be a pest on a team’s fourth-line in the playoffs.
Again, it’s easy to see why teams would be interested in both players, but they might not be the only players drawing interest. What does the future hold for Brad Marchand in Boston, who is also set to become a free agent at the end of the season? Could players with terms like Joonas Korpisalo, Charlie Coyle, or Brandon Carlo be moved? Will the Bruins cut ties with Morgan Geekie and strike it big in terms of a potential return? Some many questions, so few answers, but if you’re a betting person, the odds that Frederic and Brazeau get moved are better than others.