The Edmonton Oilers, last season’s Western Conference champions, have initiated significant changes as the NHL trade deadline looms. On Tuesday, they bolstered their roster by securing gritty forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins.
In exchange for Frederic, the Oilers traded a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and prospect Max Wanner to the Bruins. As part of the deal, Boston agreed to retain 50% of Frederic’s $2.3 million salary. Additionally, the New Jersey Devils will retain another quarter of Frederic’s salary and, in return, received the rights to unsigned draft pick Shane Lachance from Edmonton and Petr Hauser from Boston.
The Bruins’ decision to part with Frederic marks the beginning of roster changes for the team amid a lackluster season. Despite struggles, the Bruins are still in the hunt for the remaining playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Team captain Brad Marchand, who, like Frederic, is set to become an unrestricted free agent, expressed his desire to spend his entire career with Boston, though his recent injury status is week to week.
For Edmonton, the addition of the 27-year-old Frederic brings essential grit to support stars Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and others in pursuing another deep playoff run following last year’s near-win in the Stanley Cup Final. Frederic currently faces week-to-week recovery from a lower-body injury sustained on February 25 against Toronto. This season, he has contributed 15 points and accumulated 44 penalty minutes in 57 games.
Apart from acquiring Frederic on a budget-friendly cap hit of $575,000, the Oilers also added Max Jones to their lineup. Jones, who has played 265 NHL games primarily with Anaheim, recently participated in seven games with Boston and spent significant time with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League.
With the trade deadline set for this Friday at 3 p.m. EST, several big names remain in trade talks, including Mikko Rantanen, who recently moved from Colorado to Carolina, Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders, and multiple players from the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
In a strategic move, the San Jose Sharks withheld goaltender Vitek Vanecek from their Tuesday night game in Buffalo, explicitly “for trade purposes,” according to coach Ryan Warsofsky. Similarly, the New York Rangers chose to sit winger Reilly Smith, another future UFA, in anticipation of a potential trade.
Conversely, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed they are retaining Jake Evans, securing him with a four-year, $11.4 million contract extension. Meanwhile, the reigning Stanley Cup victor, Florida Panthers, also made future plans by extending forward Jesper Boqvist with a $3 million deal running through 2027.
