Bruins Listening to Trade Offers for Struggling Forward is a No-Brainer
Don Sweeney taking phone calls for his struggling young forward makes too much sense.
Through the first 14 games of the 2024-25 season, things have been a struggle for the Boston Bruins. Sitting 6-7-1 after a 4-0 loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night, the Black and Gold are still looking for answers to how they can turn things around.
It's no secret that a number of players are underperforming right now for coach Jim Montgomery and GM Don Sweeney has started weeding some of them out by sending Max Jones and Riley Tufte to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Other players are going to have to work their way out of their struggles. Monday, Kevin Weekes of ESPN reported that one Boston forward has been getting interest in the trade market and honestly, Sweeney would be foolish to not at least listen to trade offers.
Bruins should listen to trade offers for Trent Frederic
Trent Frederic is coming off his two best NHL seasons and was a contributor to the success the Bruins had the last two seasons with 35 goals and 36 assists combined with a plus/minus combined of plus-37. However, this season has been a struggle, to say the least, as he has one goal, two assists, and a minus-3.
Wherever Montgomery has moved the former University of Wisconsin standout hasn't worked. There is no denying that he brings toughness to the lineup and plays a heavy game, but the results right now are not there and it feels like he's reverting back to his struggles before the last two seasons.
After this season, Frederic will be an unrestricted free agent and with his speed, size, and toughness, there will be a market for him. Who knows, maybe his hometown St. Louis Blues would make a pitch to him. It's just not working right now for Frederic and maybe a change of scenery would do him some good, but Sweeney would be wise to at least listen to any offers that teams would make to him.
While his team was struggling on Halloween night losing 8-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes and then beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0, two days later, Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Sweeney was scouting the Columbus Blue Jackets at Winnipeg Jets and the Blues and Maple Leafs. Selling now on Frederic would be selling low, but maybe a trade is a shakeup the Black and Gold need. Again, listening is not going to hurt Boston's GM right now if the phone rings.