The Edmonton Oilers recently acquired forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins. Frederic is known to be a tough guy who usually plays in the bottom-six. His previous two seasons with the Bruins were positive, posting over fifteen goals each year.
However, this year has been a different story. Frederic has struggled with the Bruins which makes sense as to why he was traded. The Oilers added to their forward depth in this deal where Frederic will get a great opportunity to succeed. Frederic will bring some much-needed energy to the Oilers once he joins the lineup.
Trent Frederic’s playing career
The development of Frederic’s NHL career began in the USHL where he played for the US National Under 17 and 18 teams. He struggled on the U17 team, only putting up four points in 34 games. He broke out on the U18 team being a more significant part of the offence. Here he put up 14 points in 23 games. This put him in the team’s top five scorers, just behind teammates Clayton Keller and Adam Fox.
From here, Frederic committed to the University of Wisconsin where he played for two seasons. This was where his career took off. He was a driver of offence in Wisconsin, being the second-highest scorer on the team in both seasons.
After his season ended in Wisconsin during the 2017–18 year, Frederic made the jump to the AHL. His first year he made an impressive impact since joining the team so late. Frederic put up eight points in his first 13 games. In the year that followed, Frederic was a mainstay in the AHL before making his NHL debut on January 29, 2019. In his first game, Frederic got in a fight with Brandon Tanev, beginning his career with a bang.
Since this moment, Frederic established himself as a tough forward in the Bruins lineup. He was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Being a first-round pick, he has not quite lived up to his potential. Nevertheless, he can still be a valuable piece to the Oilers lineup.
During the playoffs last season, Frederic was a key part of the Bruins’ success. He put up some respectable numbers for a depth piece with five points and 20 penalty minutes in 13 games. The playoff series against the Florida Panthers intensified when Frederic picked up two ten-minute misconducts. This could be a factor in Frederic being a potential replacement for Evander Kane.
Trent Frederic international play
The 27-year-old American has only represented his country once. This was during the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. This was a career-high for Trent Frederic as he scored five goals in seven games. Team USA went on to win the bronze medal in a 9–3 win over Czech Republic.
Trent Frederic career statistics
Being in the bottom-six, Frederic was never a top point-getter. He made his impact on the game through physicality and forechecking. Both are meaningful factors in the game. His statistics are shown below:
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | ATOI | BLK | HIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 20 | BOS | NHL | C | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 15 | 9:24 | 3 | 18 |
| 2019-20 | 21 | BOS | NHL | C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 6:26 | 0 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 22 | BOS | NHL | C | 42 | 4 | 1 | 5 | -8 | 65 | 11:15 | 15 | 61 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | BOS | NHL | C | 60 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 57 | 11:39 | 22 | 119 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | BOS | NHL | C | 79 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 28 | 57 | 11:55 | 36 | 105 |
| 2023-24 | 25 | BOS | NHL | C | 82 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 9 | 69 | 13:45 | 52 | 204 |
| 2024-25 | 26 | BOS | NHL | C | 57 | 8 | 7 | 15 | -14 | 44 | 13:50 | 29 | 155 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/4/2025.
Trent Frederic player profile
Frederic plays with a chip on his shoulder. In the table above, it proves that Frederic uses lots of physicality in his game. The former Bruin put up over 150 hits in the past two seasons. His enforcer type play brings a lot of penalty minutes along with it.
Strengths
Frederic brings plenty of positivity to his play. He is a flexible option that can play anywhere in the bottom three lines of the forward core. He mainly excels on the forecheck and battling in the corners.
This acquisition makes perfect sense for the Oilers as Frederic will be great in the playoffs. That is the kind of hockey he thrives in. He is not afraid to drop the gloves either. That is a presence that is currently missing in the Oilers lineup. Without Kane, the Oilers have no tough guys to stand up for the team.
Weaknesses
Some areas for Frederic to work on include consistency, skating, and penalties. These are all negative factors in his game. Consistency is hard to find in the NHL, especially for forwards playing lower in the lineup. They do not get as much ice time and must take advantage of the time they get. Frederic needs to work on his skating in general. His speed and edge work could use some improvement.
His last weakness is taking bad penalties. This comes with the physical play Frederic brings and is something the Oilers penalty kill will have to deal with.
Where does Trent Frederic fit into the Edmonton Oilers lineup?
Frederic will slide into the Oilers’ bottom-six forward core. He will most likely begin on the fourth line, where he will replace one of Vasily Podkolzin or Kasperi Kapanen. If he plays well enough in Edmonton, a promotion to the third line is possible.
Frederic provides some depth insurance for Edmonton in case of any injuries that occur. He is currently on the injury reserve and is out week-to-week. Hopefully, he can return in March to settle in with the Oilers before the playoff run.
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