That's blatant trolling, right?
Personally I don't buy into the cult of Frederic, whatever that is exactly. He wants to be an agitator and that's fine, but you have to earn that right in the big league. Guys he's trying to bait can just skate away from him with no loss of status, because, as an opponent I can't remember said to him a few weeks ago, he's a nobody who hasn't done anything. Start producing or at least having some sort of consistent tangible impact on the game, then you can start riling guys up and getting in their face and be taken seriously.
Purely looking at his play, I thought his first full-ish season in the NHL was ok. Started pretty well, had a little lull, went on a short burst of games where he looked like he was starting to really get it, then he got sick and never really recovered his form after that, or a regular spot in the team. Partly too he was a victim of Hall and Lazar coming in and making the battle for spots more competitive.
I think @BruinDust's point is well made that he's been asked to play a different role in Boston than he was in Providence, and it's fair to take that into account when evaluating his performance. There were games where he just mostly looked lost, his positioning was poor, and he didn't really know where to be to put himself in a position to either break up opposing team's attacking plays or take advantage of those of his linemates. When he went quiet on the fighting front the rest of his game mellowed too, and it was no good. What he seems to have missed is that you can be physical and play a hard-checking game that makes the opposition uncomfortable, without having to always be mouthing off and looking for the next scrap. Despite all that there were enough games where he knuckled down and put in a good solid effort to think that there's something there to stick with and keep working on.
He's certainly not in the initial starting 12 against the Caps, and Lazar has really limited the need for him, but he'd have to be in the mix if the Bruins last long enough and injuries take a toll. Whatever happens there, I think next season will be make or break and we'll see whether he can cut it long-term.
