Welcome to a winter edition of NHL Rumours! Yes, we are in the first days of winter. The days will slowly but surely get longer. Of course, we are only a few days away from celebrating Christmas. Kids, do not stop behaving now. It is not too late for Santa to change his list. Speaking of lists, today’s rumour pertains to the list of teams who might be interested in Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic. Specifically, the St. Louis Blues may have interest in the forward.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
St. Louis Blues May Be Interested in Trent Frederic
Rumour: In a recent edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman talked about Trent Frederic and teams who could be interested. One team that Freidman mentioned was the St. Louis Blues.
Analysis: Frederic is a St. Louis native which makes this an interesting rumour right away. Just like Cam Janssen and hometown hero Pat Maroon, should a move happen, Frederic would be the latest St. Louis native to wear the Blue Note.
From the Bruins side of things, a previous rumour mentioned that the Bruins will need to make a decision sooner or later as to if they want to extend Frederic or trade. The 26-year old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Frederic is coming off a career-high 18 goals last season. Frederic is a strong skater with a good shot. Furthermore, he has some size which makes him a physical presence on the ice. He is going to likely make way more than his current $2.3 million cap hit, whether that comes from the Bruins or someone else. For the Bruins, it may be better to trade Frederic and get something in return as opposed to losing him in free agency and getting nothing.
On the Blues side of things, a player like Frederic would be a nice addition on the roster. Frederic would immediately slide into the Blues top-six forward lines. The Blues have shown in recent weeks that they are looking to be competitive and compete for a playoff spot. Trading for Frederic would help that goal.
Should the Blues do it?
This is a tough question to answer. From a sentimental perspective, seeing another St. Louis native return to play for the Blues would be a nice story. In addition, Frederic would be a nice addition to the offence.
However, this may be a trade general that manager Doug Armstrong and future general manager Alexander Steen would be better off not making. Frederic is an unrestricted free agent after this season. This means that the Blues will have to offer something of value to acquire Frederic from the Bruins and then have to offer contract extension to ensure Frederic is a Blue beyond the end of this season. In this particular situation, it may make more sense for the Blues to wait until the summer to pursue Frederic, if they are interested. Chances are the Bruins will be looking for a high draft pick at the least in exchange for Frederic. Furthermore, the rumour mentions other teams are interested in Trent Frederic, which would only drive up the price tag.
The Blues are still in a retool. They are not buyers by any means. This is not like when the team traded for Ryan O’Reilly in 2018. When they made the trade then, they were looking to move the needle to becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The 2024-25 Blues are not at that point yet. Is it smart right now to trade valuable assets and then extend a contract? If the Blues are interested in Frederic, it would make more sense to wait until this summer and enter the bidding war.
If Frederic were not a UFA, it would be a different story.
Blues Should Look to Clear More Cap Before a Big Investment
The Blues are rumoured to be interested in trading forward Brandon Saad to get his contract off the books. That should be the Blues priority right now. Clear cap and then look to make a big move. Armstrong and Steen have done a great job of keeping this team competitive while also not handcuffing the roster with any big moves.
Let someone else give up assets for Frederic. Then in the summer, maybe the Blues can swoop in with a contract add the St. Louis native.
Main Photo: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
The post NHL Rumours: St. Louis Blues May Be Interested in Eastern Conference Forward appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.