Speculation: Poll: Should the Bruins Retain or Trade Trent Frederic?

[GordonHowe]

Not sure how this can be answered at this juncture. Way to many moving parts to paint a clear picture.

With the player, the team, or both?

If the former, that is on Frederic.

Trade or keep him, it doesn't really matter to me, he's not a core piece by any measure. Correct answer depends on the value of the return. I'd rather retain him at 2.5 than trade him away for the proverbial bag of pucks. Doesn't mean I think he's worth 2.5 (he's not), but Frederic at 2.5 is worth more to me than a bunch of never-was or might-never-be players.

Low draft picks? I'd do it at this point.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

I have mixed feelings but think we should retain him (assuming the price tag is reasonable). To me he's kind of in between two things and can't really decide on which one he really is. I liked him better when he scrapped more and threw his weight around and less when he thought he was a goal scorer now and played accordingly (despite career high stats in that regard).
He disappointed me in the Florida series by NOT throwing his weight around because the team clearly needed that and we weren't really getting it from anybody.
Maybe with Looch back on the team he can define his role more clearly and it'll allow him to play more like a 3rd liner than a 4th liner if you get my drift.
Really wish he'd up his compete though and be both. We could use a few Big Bad Bruins back on this team.

 

[GordonHowe]

I have mixed feelings but think we should retain him (assuming the price tag is reasonable). To me he's kind of in between two things and can't really decide on which one he really is. I liked him better when he scrapped more and threw his weight around and less when he thought he was a goal scorer now and played accordingly (despite career high stats in that regard).
He disappointed me in the Florida series by NOT throwing his weight around because the team clearly needed that and we weren't really getting it from anybody.
Maybe with Looch back on the team he can define his role more clearly and it'll allow him to play more like a 3rd liner than a 4th liner if you get my drift.
Really wish he'd up his compete though and be both. We could use a few Big Bad Bruins back on this team.

Agree.

He's also done a lot of empty japping without especially backing it up.


Agree.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I am not asking anyone to name specific players.

However, REALISTICALLY,, WHAT MIGHT THAT RETURN BE? MY SENSE IS THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO BE PACKAGED. NOT WHAT I WANT I DON'T THINK HE'S GOOD ENOUGH TO BE TREATED ONE ON ONE, UNLESS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LATE ROUND DRAFT PICKS. WHICH IS FINE.


Sorry about the caps. Voice to text on the phone,

Why were you screaming this question the phone?

 

[UncleRico]

I think a lot depends on how the pieces align the rest of the season too. If swaymans arbitration number comes in close to samsonovs $3.5m it gives a little extra wiggle room for Frederic to be signed. At that point I don’t really think it matters what Frederic will make if it’s just a one year deal.

The bruins appear to have began their retool though seemingly half heartedly. I’m much more against trading young players than I would be the forborts of the world or other players that won’t be here by the end of the retool.

 

[Dizzay]

Too many moving parts......let's see first what he's asking for in arbitration. Let's see what he gets. If he can land us as part of a package a 1-2c or a 1LD for McAvoy to partner with...........too early!

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

 

[BruinDust]

With the player, the team, or both?

If the former, that is on Frederic.



Low draft picks? I'd do it at this point.

If Swayman's number and Frederic's number combined put them over the cap to start the year, I think the only realistic way to solve that issue is to subtract from the D-Corps. I cannot for the life of me see where they can realistically find savings from the forward group.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

If Swayman's number and Frederic's number combined put them over the cap to start the year, I think the only realistic way to solve that issue is to subtract from the D-Corps. I cannot for the life of me see where they can realistically find savings from the forward group.

Seems like this board feels the answer is to trade Frederic, especially if he gets more money than Philipp Kurashev.

 

[BruinDust]

Seems like this board feels the answer is to trade Frederic, especially if he gets more money than Philipp Kurashev.

I'm torn on Frederic to be honest.

I've been critical of him in the past. But here we have a year where the forward group is much less set in stone and can and likely will be, very fluid, at least to start the year. He's never had a better opportunity really than the one in front of him this year.

And they've spent a heck of a lot of ice time, money and coaching effort getting this player to this point in his career. And factoring in the fluidness and opportunity mentioned above, right now feels a bit like NOT the time to trade him away.

Considering I don't like the composition of the D-Corps (especially the left-side) at all, I'd probably favor hanging onto Frederic and letting the D-Corps take the hit.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I'm torn on Frederic to be honest.

I've been critical of him in the past. But here we have a year where the forward group is much less set in stone and can and likely will be, very fluid, at least to start the year. He's never had a better opportunity really than the one in front of him this year.

And they've spent a heck of a lot of ice time, money and coaching effort getting this player to this point in his career. And factoring in the fluidness and opportunity mentioned above, right now feels a bit like NOT the time to trade him away.

Considering I don't like the composition of the D-Corps (especially the left-side) at all, I'd probably favor hanging onto Frederic and letting the D-Corps take the hit.

Ideally Lohrei pushes Forbort out. But with their over focus on the PK role, I’m concerned that wouldn’t happen.

Frederic below $3M is absolutely a deal you have to make and keep, especially with the cap opening up next year.

 

[Saxon Eric]

I'm in favor of any scenario that requires Forbort moved

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Also, for posterity:

He just got awarded 2x$2.5M

 

[Aussie Bruin]

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I'd be shocked if most of the Bruins didn't show notable improvements in these kinds of stats and their overall WAR % after the season they had, especially a young guy like Frederic who only has a small prior body of work which will make an exceptional year stand out even more. I don't mean to wholly write off Freddie's development on that basis - he definitely took steps forward in his game last season and became a more rounded player - but some of these numbers are inevitably also going to be impacted by the overall performance and win rate of the team for which Trent of course deserves some but only partial credit. There's most likely going to be some amount of downwards correction this coming season, and that's equally as true for Frederic as a more established guy like DeBrusk unless he puts together a really exceptional individual effort.

That said, again I think there's no question we saw a maturing in Freddie's abilities last season and improvements in his playmaking, defense and finish. I don't get all giddy about the 17 goals but they're not to be sniffed at either. Against that there's equally no doubt that for whatever reason, possibly fatigue, he flaked out in the last part of the year - just 3 points in his last 13 regular season games and then, when it matters most, a poor playoff performance. But while not ideal I think that can be excused given he's still relatively young and, on balance, as a homegrown guy who's delivered on at least some of his promise and who I think still has some upside, especially in a different looking team where he should get some more opportunities to further prove himself, I'd rather the Bs retain him. He's not indispensable and if a good trade offer came along you'd have to look at it, but the default option should be to stick with him for now.

As a couple of others here have said, more than anything he needs to pin down exactly what kind of player he wants to be. Too often he seems to get caught between being one thing or another, and then winding up ineffective at both. I actually don't think the scrapper/agitator role really suits him, and I'd rather he just focus on being more physical during the general course of play while still looking to make smart plays offensively. A guy like Brady Tkachuk landed 242 hits last year, Frederic had 105. That's not nothing, but pushing that number up towards 200 in future would not only be a better use of his size but probably get him more engaged in the game in general.

 

[Blowfish]

Freddy is a perfect candidate to be packed in a trade.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I'd be shocked if most of the Bruins didn't show notable improvements in these kinds of stats and their overall WAR % after the season they had, especially a young guy like Frederic who only has a small prior body of work which will make an exceptional year stand out even more. I don't mean to wholly write off Freddie's development on that basis - he definitely took steps forward in his game last season and became a more rounded player - but some of these numbers are inevitably also going to be impacted by the overall performance and win rate of the team for which Trent of course deserves some but only partial credit. There's most likely going to be some amount of downwards correction this coming season, and that's equally as true for Frederic as a more established guy like DeBrusk unless he puts together a really exceptional individual effort.

That said, again I think there's no question we saw a maturing in Freddie's abilities last season and improvements in his playmaking, defense and finish. I don't get all giddy about the 17 goals but they're not to be sniffed at either. Against that there's equally no doubt that for whatever reason, possibly fatigue, he flaked out in the last part of the year - just 3 points in his last 13 regular season games and then, when it matters most, a poor playoff performance. But while not ideal I think that can be excused given he's still relatively young and, on balance, as a homegrown guy who's delivered on at least some of his promise and who I think still has some upside, especially in a different looking team where he should get some more opportunities to further prove himself, I'd rather the Bs retain him. He's not indispensable and if a good trade offer came along you'd have to look at it, but the default option should be to stick with him for now.

As a couple of others here have said, more than anything he needs to pin down exactly what kind of player he wants to be. Too often he seems to get caught between being one thing or another, and then winding up ineffective at both. I actually don't think the scrapper/agitator role really suits him, and I'd rather he just focus on being more physical during the general course of play while still looking to make smart plays offensively. A guy like Brady Tkachuk landed 242 hits last year, Frederic had 105. That's not nothing, but pushing that number up towards 200 in future would not only be a better use of his size but probably get him more engaged in the game in general.

There aren't many forwards who had 200 hits last year, and they're almost all a certain type. One who Freddy is not: Deslauriers, Jeannot, Martin, Kolesar, Hathaway, Acciari, Tkachuk, Pezzetta, Blais, Marcus Foligno, Joshua, Ritchie, O'Brien. Hell Lucic only had 168 hits. These guys just aren't good analogs for Frederic's game. His identity isn't a bruiser or a goon. He's not that guy. And getting away from trying to be saw him take a leap last year.

 

[BruinDust]

would not only be a better use of his size but probably get him more engaged in the game in general.

This is one of the reasons I want to see Frederic back in the middle. I think you would get a more engaged and focused player. I'll only speak to my own experience, there is a certain level of "boredom" that comes with playing the wing in hockey, especially in your own zone. Your reliant on your teammates more to get you the puck on break-outs. Less engaged defensively covering the high slot/point. I converted to D about 15 years ago and never looked back. Mentally I find D much more engaging than wing and now rarely play as a winger. Almost never. I've had other players who made the switch say the same thing.

Meanwhile, the center is involved in all aspects, even more so than D. Mentally there is much more to chew on shift-to-shift. More responsibility, but also more opportunity to build confidence and contribute. There is a reason why top players all wanted to play in the middle.

Then factor in how playing center mitigates one of Frederic's biggest issues, his first few strides aren't great. Take a bit to get up to speed. He's more stationary as a winger and center forces him to keep his feet moving. I find Charlie Coyle the same and one reason why he's a more effective C than W.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

There aren't many forwards who had 200 hits last year, and they're almost all a certain type. One who Freddy is not: Deslauriers, Jeannot, Martin, Kolesar, Hathaway, Acciari, Tkachuk, Pezzetta, Blais, Marcus Foligno, Joshua, Ritchie, O'Brien. Hell Lucic only had 168 hits. These guys just aren't good analogs for Frederic's game. His identity isn't a bruiser or a goon. He's not that guy. And getting away from trying to be saw him take a leap last year.

You can be physical without being a bruiser or goon. From your list alone at least Tkachuk, Foligno and Acciari don't really match that description, neither did Lucic in his prime. I definitely want to see Frederic focusing on his general play above all, because he has genuine offensive talent and he can hurt opponents on the scoreboard. But alongside that while not huge he does have some size and physical presence about him, and I think he could also be a bit smarter about how he uses that while not detracting from the rest of his game.

Partly it's about finding different ways to make an impact - in the Florida series he generated very little offensively, and compounded that by having hardly any physical input either, so that he ended up spending a lot of ice time just sort of being there. By all means keep doing what worked well for him for a lot of last season, but IMO add that little more edge as well so that even if one part of his game's not working out, he's still doing something useful. I don't want him to be a 'hit first' player, just someone mindful of how he can effectively use his body.

This is one of the reasons I want to see Frederic back in the middle. I think you would get a more engaged and focused player. I'll only speak to my own experience, there is a certain level of "boredom" that comes with playing the wing in hockey, especially in your own zone. Your reliant on your teammates more to get you the puck on break-outs. Less engaged defensively covering the high slot/point. I converted to D about 15 years ago and never looked back. Mentally I find D much more engaging than wing and now rarely play as a winger. Almost never. I've had other players who made the switch say the same thing.

Meanwhile, the center is involved in all aspects, even more so than D. Mentally there is much more to chew on shift-to-shift. More responsibility, but also more opportunity to build confidence and contribute. There is a reason why top players all wanted to play in the middle.

Then factor in how playing center mitigates one of Frederic's biggest issues, his first few strides aren't great. Take a bit to get up to speed. He's more stationary as a winger and center forces him to keep his feet moving. I find Charlie Coyle the same and one reason why he's a more effective C than W.

100%. I'm not sure how much opportunity Frederic's going to get in the middle, especially if Bergeron does return, but I think it would do him a lot of good and should at least be trialled. He'd probably need to work more on his faceoffs, but that can be done.

 

[BruinDust]

100%. I'm not sure how much opportunity Frederic's going to get in the middle, especially if Bergeron does return, but I think it would do him a lot of good and should at least be trialled. He'd probably need to work more on his faceoffs, but that can be done.

They also have Brown who has been described as a "face-off specialist" If it were say Frederic and Brown on the same line, you could have Brown play RW but take strong-side face-offs.

 

[mar2kbos]

Well now that Bergeron retired you retain him. He has his consistency issues, but he also scored 17 goals, but at this point Bruins need to throw crap against the wall and hope it becomes a number 1 or 2 center

 

[NDiesel]

Well now that Bergeron retired you retain him. He has his consistency issues, but he also scored 17 goals, but at this point Bruins need to throw crap against the wall and hope it becomes a number 1 or 2 center

Came here to ask the question on if Bergy retiring changes anything....I'm not sure if Freddy will ever be a C for us, but better to keep as many potential centers as you can at this point.

 

[Yeti34]

Came here to ask the question on if Bergy retiring changes anything....I'm not sure if Freddy will ever be a C for us, but better to keep as many potential centers as you can at this point.

He got all or most of his goals at wing. To me he’s always looked better when he played center. He looked more comfortable and more on his game.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

He got all or most of his goals at wing. To me he’s always looked better when he played center. He looked more comfortable and more on his game.

So, he looks better when he doesn't score goals?

 

[TobanWest]

Retain

 

[Yeti34]

So, he looks better when he doesn't score goals?

His time at center was limited so I wouldn’t have excepted a ton of goals. Freddy goes through streaks where he just looks lost out there. I haven’t noticed that when he’s playing center.