The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
The trade
Oilers get: Center Trent Frederic and forward Max Jones
Bruins get: Second-round pick in 2025 (from Blues), fourth-round pick in 2026, defenseman Max Wanner
Devils get: Rights to forward Shane LaChance for retaining 50 percent of Frederic’s salary
Harman Dayal: This is an intriguing roll of the dice for the Oilers.
Frederic is a big-bodied winger with above-average speed and a gritty, abrasive playing style. The 27-year-old is a wrecking ball physically and a top-notch forechecker, which are two ingredients that the Oilers needed more of in their lineup. This size and sandpaper will instantly make Edmonton a harder team to play against. Frederic is a versatile player who can play both wing and center.
The big key is seeing if Edmonton can unlock more offense from Frederic than he has shown this season. Frederic has only scored 15 points in 57 games in 2024-25, which is underwhelming even with the context of the Bruins’ overall offensive struggles as a team. He did, however, hit a career-high 18 goals and 40 points last season and 17 goals and 31 points in 2022-23. The Oilers will want him to get back closer to that production level to justify the price they paid.
Frederic’s ideally a third-liner on a contending team, but given the Oilers’ lack of proven second-line winger options, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an opportunity at some point with Leon Draisaitl. Vasily Podkolzin, for example, has gotten extended time on Draisaitl’s line at times this season because of Edmonton’s top-six winger shortage. Viktor Arvidsson hasn’t clicked on the second line yet and lately, rookie Matt Savoie is getting a look with Draisaitl.
Frederic isn’t an ideal top-six option, but he has enough net-front finishing ability and at least some familiarity playing with skilled players — he spent most of 2022-23 on a line with Charlie Coyle — that he could get a spin further up the lineup.
Ultimately, the Oilers paid a significant but fair price for a crash-and-bang third-liner with some secondary offensive upside. It’s not a home run, but it’s a sensible swing.
The Bruins, meanwhile, picked up two valuable draft picks for a player who was likely to walk in free agency and was having an offensive down year. Offloading Max Jones is a nice piece of business, too. Jones, who’s on a $1 million cap hit through the 2025-26 season, was a liability in the seven NHL games he appeared in this season and has spent most of the year in the minors. This won’t have salary cap benefits for Boston because his AAV can be buried in the minors without cap implications, but it saves the organization from paying a significant one-way salary for an AHL quality player.
Oilers grade: B
Bruins grade: B+
Shayna Goldman: The vision is there for Edmonton. As easy as it is to point to goaltending as the Oilers’ biggest weakness, it shouldn’t have been their number one priority this week. The goalie market isn’t super inspiring, and there are more pressing needs in front of the blue paint to deal with. Edmonton needs to give their goalies more goal support, and limit some of the chaos Stuart Skinner is forced to face.
The Oilers need help up front because most of their offseason signings haven’t worked out as expected. Frederic isn’t a prolific scorer or an ace in transition, but he can add more versatility to a lineup. He brings some snarl, is a reliable forechecker and can contribute some offense at five-on-five. Frederic is a fine fit for a bottom-six that could use support. It would help to see what he can bring to the team before the playoffs, but if his contract stays on LTIR until then, it will buy Edmonton more cap flexibility.
As close as Boston may seem to the playoff picture right now — sitting two points outside of the second wild card seed — the reality is that this team is not strong enough to do real damage in the postseason. Sometimes, a team has to step back before it can move forward. After years of contending and poor drafting, the Bruins need to start resetting for next season. Adding two draft picks allows the Bruins to do that, whether management uses the picks in the drafts or as trade assets. The return for Frederic was realistically only going to thread the needle so much, especially with his current injury in mind. But management has to keep pushing it with more creative thinking from here.
The Devils’ role in this is worth tracking. Traditionally, non-playoff teams play third-party brokers to deals. But the Blackhawks, Sharks and Predators already have all three of their retention slots filled, while the Canadiens and Penguins only have one left. If a playoff team has little cap space, this is a smart way to use it.
Oilers grade: B
Bruins grade: B-
Devils grade: B+
(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
