Oilers acquire forwards Frederic, Jones from Bruins
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The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones from the Boston Bruins.
The Oiler sent defenceman Max Wanner, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick back to Boston in the deal. Wanner, a seventh-round pick of the Oilers in 2021, has one goal and one assist in 22 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors this season. The second-round pick is the St. Louis Blues selection acquired by Edmonton last summer in the offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
The New Jersey Devils have received Shane LaChance from Edmonton for facilitating the deal, retaining 50 per cent of Frederic's salary. LaChance, who remains at Harvard University, was selected by the Oilers in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
The Oilers also received unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser in the deal. The Devils selected the 21-year-old forward in the fifth round in 2022.
Frederic, 26, has eight goals and 15 points in 57 games with the Bruins this season. He is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The 6-foot-3 centre is on the final season of a two-year, $4.6 million deal with an annual cap hit of $2.3 million. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Drafted 29th overall by the Bruins in 2016, Frederic has 55 goals and 109 points in 337 career games.
Jones, 27, has been playing in the AHL and has 13 goals and 21 points in 38 games with the Providence Bruins. He went without a point in seven games with Boston this season.
A first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2016 draft, Jones remains signed through next season at a cap hit of $1 million.
Prior to joining the Bruins as free agent last summer, Jones had been a lineup regular for the Ducks since 2019. He has 31 goals and 62 points in 265 career NHL games.
Bruins set course as seller
A perennial deadline buyer over the past several seasons, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had previously stated he could change directions with the team struggling this year.
Trading Frederic came shortly after the Bruins announced captain Brad Marchand would be out week-to-week, joining Frederic and star blueliner Charlie McAvoy among their injured players.
Boston enters Tuesday's game against the Nashville Predators sitting two points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card with two more games played.
“We’re going to look at all opportunities, whether it’s to improve our club now or with an eye towards moving forward,” Sweeney said last month. “Our veteran players have proven they’re good players. Is everybody having a career year? No.
“But that being said, they can help us and they can help other teams. That’s why you receive calls, and unfortunately, as part of the job, you have to make calls at this point in time of the year. So that’s just what’s going to happen over the next couple weeks.”
The Bruins, who have reached playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, fired head coach Jim Montgomery after an 8-9-3 start to this season. The team has a 20-17-5 record under his replacement, Joe Sacco.
Oilers ready for another deep run
After falling to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, the Oilers are loading up for another run this spring.
The move comes one day after star centre Connor McDavid expressed his faith in the team's management to bring in help ahead of the deadline.
”Management in years past has always done a good job of pitching in and giving us another horse in the stable to help us coming down the stretch and into the playoffs, so I’d expect management to do the same,” McDavid said.
Edmonton sits second in the Pacific Division, sitting four points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the Pacific Division.