Bruins
“Hopefully I can type of get extra duty on this group.”
There’s a cause why gamers like Trent Frederic are valued in immediately’s NHL.
Whereas hockey now emphasizes velocity and talent, Frederic’s sport harkens again to the snarl that was as soon as commonplace.
The pugnacious ahead has the prickly disposition (and proper hook) wanted to dole out punishment on the ice. However the 25-year-old will not be minimize from the identical fabric because the fourth-line goons or pure scrappers of yesteryear.
Frederic’s development as a two-way contributor throughout the 2022-23 season performed a key position in Boston’s depth-scoring deluge. Alongside along with his bodily play, he added a career-high 17 targets and 31 factors.
His even-strength defensive metrics at 5v5 play ranked within the 94th percentile throughout the NHL (per JFreshHockey), with Boston outscoring opponents, 47-23, throughout Frederic’s 884:43 of 5v5 ice time.
As soon as seen as a promising fourth-line grinder looking for some semblance of an id on Boston’s depth chart, Frederic thrived in Jim Montgomery’s system final spring as a third-line stalwart.
Now, the Bruins are hoping that the St. Louis native has yet one more main leap ahead in retailer for 2023-24.
“I imply, you possibly can’t actually substitute these guys,” Frederic mentioned by way of Zoom when requested of the departures of key cogs like Patrice Bergeron. “They’re nice people and clearly they’re nice hockey gamers. However hopefully, I can type of get extra duty on this group. And, you recognize, it’s gonna be laborious to interchange them, however do the very best that I can.”
The Bruins are in determined want of extra accountable contributors up entrance, given the vacancies sprinkled throughout Boston’s first three strains. Final 12 months’s third-line grouping of Charlie Coyle, Taylor Corridor, and Frederic was a luxurious on a deep roster.
However with Coyle seemingly slotted right into a top-six position following Bergeron’s retirement, it stays to be seen the place precisely Frederic slots in.
Regardless that Frederic has primarily minimize his enamel on the NHL stage whereas taking part in on the wing, he’s a pure middle by commerce. And with Coyle seemingly bumped up, Frederic could possibly be handed the keys to the 3C place.
“I assume every part will type of play out at camp,” Frederic mentioned of his anticipated place. “I don’t thoughts taking part in middle or wing. I feel final 12 months, I performed just about all three — left wing, middle and proper. So I’m comfy taking part in all three now. I really actually favored proper wing final 12 months. Type of my first time doing that and I actually favored it. So simply type of wherever I discover a match, attempt to do it greatest there.”
Regardless that Frederic’s versatility down the center is welcomed on a reshuffled Bruins lineup, preserving him at proper wing could be one of the simplest ways to maximise his potential transferring ahead.
In spite of everything, the Bruins do have one other potential third-line middle in place in Morgan Geekie, who additionally could possibly be in line for a breakout season with added reps. And although Frederic is a pure middle, his struggles with faceoffs (43.9% success charge) over his NHL profession do increase some concern.
At proper wing, Frederic appeared like a pure match. Be it profitable puck battles alongside the boards, clearing house on the netfront, or inflicting havoc on the forecheck, Frederic repeatedly did the little issues down low that usually paid dividends for his two different linemates in Corridor and Coyle.
It’s robust to argue with the outcomes.
Through the 649:43 of 5v5 ice time the place Coyle and Frederic skated collectively, the Bruins outscored groups, 35-18, and held a 154-116 edge in high-danger scoring probabilities.
As for the 420:24 of 5v5 reps when Coyle skated with out Frederic?
Boston solely outscored opponents, 16-14, and noticed opponents maintain a 94-75 benefit in high-danger scoring probabilities.
If Coyle is due for a top-six position, stapling Frederic to his hip is probably not an outlandish transfer, particularly if each gamers are additional lifted by the presence of an elite playmaker like Brad Marchand on their line.
The offensive firepower of a Marchand-Coyle-Frederic line could not evaluate to Boston’s earlier prime line of Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk, however the former grouping might venture as a stout puck-possession unit able to negating opponents within the D-zone.
The next domino impact of penciling Frederic in at 1RW might additionally yield constructive returns.
Pushing a possible 30-goal scorer in Jake DeBrusk again to his pure spot at left wing subsequent to Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak will add extra scoring punch to Boston’s prime scoring line, whereas additionally pushing James van Riemsdyk to the third line subsequent to Geekie.
In fact, such a configuration solely turns into a practical situation for Montgomery and the Bruins if Frederic is as much as the duty.
Recent off of signing a brand new two-year contract ($2.3 million annual cap hit), Frederic might want to show that his 17-goal marketing campaign is an indication of issues to come back, and never an unsustainable surge in his capturing luck (14.2% in 2022-23).
With extra minutes and duties on the horizon, Frederic will look to carve out a task as a part of the subsequent wave of Bruins expertise within the post-Bergeron period.
“It’s gonna be laborious to interchange Bergy and the blokes which have left this summer time,” Frederic mentioned, including: “However we nonetheless have a very good group of fellows.”
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