(Photo Courtesy of Providence Bruins / Flickr)
By: Tim A. Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Trent Frederic came into the season with some buzz surrounding him. The 2016 first-round draft pick had just come off of his first professional season in which he netted 14 goals while dishing out 11 assists for 25 total points in 55 games played (stats courtesy of EliteProspects). The young center had also spent some time in Boston that season. He quickly became a fan favorite winning a fight in one of his first games.
There was talk at the beginning of the year that Frederic could potentially grab one of the bottom-six center positions out of training camp. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards this year. The young center would spend all but two games in Providence. It was a less than ideal start to the season for Frederic. He would only register five points, all assists in his first 15 games (stats courtesy of the AHL). Despite the slow start, he would go on to have a fantastic season. In 59 games, he netted eight goals while dishing out 24 assists for 32 total points (stats courtesy of EliteProspects).
This is the type of season you’d like a young player to have in their second year. Assists, shots, and points were all up from his previous season. This shows growth. Frederic was able to round out his game more and find his playmaking ability. Some people may be concerned about the drop in goal production. I am not because his shooting percentage went from 13.7% to 6.1% (stats courtesy of AHL). One area of Frederic’s game that needs serious work is penalty minutes. He went from 67 to 148 (stats courtesy of EliteProspects).
Frederic is a physical player. It’s one of his biggest strengths. His willingness to play physical at any level is going to be a big reason why he sticks in the NHL. One thing the young center will have to manage is knowing when not to cross the line and cause a penalty. Something else that he was able to show off is how defensively responsible he is. Frederic played very well on the penalty kill. You also don’t have to worry bout him in his own zone. It was a very successful second full season for Trent Frederic. It’s one he’ll be able to build upon moving forward.
The biggest question that has yet to be answered regarding Frederic is; what does the future hold? Some people think he’s a potential top-six center. Others think he’s a bottom-six center. When all is said and done, Frederic will likely end up being a middle-six center. The former first-round pick possesses size, strength, skill, and defensive awareness. He’s able to use his size to shield defenders from the puck and create scoring chances. These attributes are going to allow him to fit in with any team.
The future of the Bruins at the center position looks bright. They have Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic, and of course, Charlie Coyle signed long-term. Frederic will end up having a good career in Boston, and I cannot wait to watch it unfold. I hope everyone is staying safe during this time. Feel free to send me any questions or comments on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!
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