Boston Bruins Sign Breakout Forward In Pre-Arbitration Deal

The Boston Bruins have signed young forward Trent Frederic to a two-year, $2.3 million AAV deal before the two sides went to arbitration.

Trent Frederic and the Bruins reach a 2x$2.3M agreement
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 1, 2023

Frederic was drafted 29th overall in 2016 and has now played three full seasons with the Bruins. At the end of this deal, the 25-year-old will be a UFA. Fortunately for him and the Bruins, he took a big step last season and scored 17 goals and 31 points in 79 games. With how many key players the Bruins lost in the offseason, he will definitely be securely in a third line role with an opportunity to even move up.

The number settled on makes a lot of sense as the Bruins wanted that extra year that might not have been handed out in arbitration, but they also only got one season of Frederic showing what he might be capable of in the long-term.

Frederic now gets a better opportunity to improve upon his breakout season and by the time his two-year contract is up, get paid even more. He is a late bloomer for a first rounder, but the Bruins are glad he bloomed at all and wasn't another first round disappointment like they had enough of from the 2015 draft.