Bruins' trade deadline activity off to a good start with Frederic deal

The Boston Bruins have made their first deal ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, and it was a very good one.

They dealt forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2025 second-round draft pick (via the St. Louis Blues), a 2026 fourth-round pick and defenseman prospect Max Wanner.

Frederic was originally a 2016 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) by the Bruins. He took the strongest leap in his development the last two seasons, setting career highs with 18 goals and 22 assists in the 2023-24 campaign.

But the 27-year-old forward has really struggled offensively this season with just 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 57 games. He's also in the final year of his contract, and instead of re-signing him to a deal the team might later regret, general manager Don Sweeney was able to get multiple draft picks for him.

The second-round pick from the Blues is a good asset for the Bruins.

The Blues are outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, so that could be a top-16 selection in Round 2. A lot has been made of the Bruins' lack of first-round picks in recent years, and it's definitely hurt them. They've picked in Round 1 just three times in the last seven drafts. A lack of second-rounders has been a problem as well. Boston has made only two second-round picks in the last six drafts, and before this trade, they didn't own a 2025 second-rounder. Now they do.

The Bruins' last two second-round picks were Matthew Poitras (2022) and Mason Lohrei (2020) -- both of whom look good so far.

The last time the Bruins made a first- and second-round pick in the same draft was 2017. That could change this year now that they have picks in both the first and second rounds.

So, what's next for the Bruins?

The fact that the Bruins were able to get two draft picks and a player for Frederic and an AHL forward in Jones shows this is a seller's market, which makes sense. If you look at the standings, a lot of teams are still within striking distance of a playoff spot. For example, six of the eight teams outside a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference are within five points of a wild card berth.

Therefore, teams that get an early start on selling could do very well.

It would be smart of the Bruins to listen on a lot of players. The Calgary Flames reportedly have interest in defenseman Brandon Carlo. Carlo likely would be able to fetch a better return than Frederic. The American d-man has two more years left on his contract with a team-friendly $4.1 million salary cap hit.

What about Charlie Coyle? He is signed through next season with a $5.25 million cap hit. Contending teams are always looking for good centers, and Coyle's two-way skill set is ideally suited for the playoffs.

Morgan Geekie ranks third on the team with 19 goals and fourth with 32 points. He'll be an RFA this summer. Given the Bruins' need for scoring wingers, extending Geekie makes more sense than trading him, but if a team is willing to overpay, the B's should at least listen.

Justin Brazeau is a pending UFA. Similar to Frederic, the veteran forward could provide scoring and toughness to a contending team's bottom-six. If the Bruins don't envision a deal getting done with Brazeau, trading him is the best decision.

The Bruins could still reach the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They are four points out of a wild card spot. But getting in is far from guaranteed -- MoneyPuck gives the Bruins a 9.4 percent chance -- and even if the Bruins did reach the postseason, the chances of this team making a real run appear incredibly slim.

A quick retool makes the most sense for the Bruins. They have several good foundational pieces in David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Jeremy Swayman. A full rebuild is not needed.

But the Bruins do need to make a bunch of roster upgrades in the offseason, and a good way to do that would be trading away players now to stockpile good assets in the form of draft picks, NHLers and prospects.