People are reacting to the recent trade that saw the Edmonton Oilers acquire forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones from the Boston Bruins. The deal saw the Oilers send forward prospect Shane Lachance to the New Jersey Devils, along with defence prospect Max Wanner and two draft picks to the Bruins.
Some people are on board with the addition of Frederic, who brings in a lot of physicality and grit that the Oilers will need if they want to make another deep run in the playoffs. Others, especially Trent Frederic’s Burner account on X, are a little sad to see him leave Boston.
Former Oiler Chris Pronger knows a lot about toughness in the post-season. The Stanley Cup Champion and Hall of Famer wrote that he thinks that both Frederic and Jones will be needed assets for Edmonton in a couple of months.
As part of the deal, the Bruins are retaining 50 percent of Frederic’s $2.3 million cap hit. The Devils and Oilers then split the final 50 percent of the contract, meaning Edmonton is only paying the 27-year-old $575,000 for the rest of the season. Despite that, some fans think the Oilers might’ve received the grinder for free.
Frederic’s tough-guy persona has garnered him fans dating back to when he burst on the scene with the Nashville Predators, with even some Boston fans are sad to see him go. Yet, it will be interesting to see how he meshses with his new team, especially since it hasn’t even been two months since Frederic engaged in fisticuffs with Corey Perry in Boston.
Some folks on the socials poked fun at the recent dealings between the United States and Canada. With U.S. President Donald Trump moving forward with his plan on collecting 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, some joked that the 25 percent of Frederic’s salary they are paying is due to a reverse tariff.
Some fans believe this trade will set the tone for the rest of the deals made leading up to Friday’s trade deadline. With the Bruins receiving second- and fourth-round picks as part of the transaction, there is concern that this might up the stock of some other players, regardless of skill level. That includes Philadelphia Flyers’ centre, Scott Laughton, who is getting a lot of attention from several teams across the NHL. His name has been tied to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past couple of weeks.
Frederic is still recovering from an injury he suffered in a game against the Maple Leafs last month. He is expected to be skating by the end of March and might not return before the end of the 2024-25 regular season.