The arbitration case for restricted free-agent forward Trent Frederic will be heard on August 1 unless the Boston Bruins and Frederic can come to an agreement on a new contract before that date. News came out Sunday, courtesy of TSN’s Elliotte Friedman, that the money offered by the Bruins and requested by Frederic has been made public. The Bruins are offering two years, $1.4 million, and the former University of Wisconsin star is seeking $2.9 million for one year. The difference in value is minimal between the two sides and could lead to an agreement before the case gets to a hearing.
Frederic was a first-round draft pick of the Bruins in 2016 (29th overall) and is coming off a career year for Boston, playing mainly on the wing. In 198 career regular season games, Frederic has totaled 29 goals and 25 assists. However, the 25-year-old center had his best year during the 2022-23 season, with 17 goals and 14 assists. In nine career playoff games, Frederic has yet to collect a point and has a minus-4 rating. The timing, however, seems to be right for the St. Louis native entering his restricted free agency off-season.
One relatable comp to Frederic is 23-year-old Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev, who was awarded a two-year contract worth an annual salary cap hit of $2.25 million by an arbiter on July 23. Kurashev has scored 23 goals with 39 assists in 191 career regular season games. This past season, the former fourth-round pick tallied nine goals and 16 assists in 70 games.
Related Article: Bruins, Swayman Arbitration Filing Revealed
Frederic could be entitled to a similar deal. If so, the Bruins might have some salary cap maneuvering to do with goaltender Jeremy Swayman also preparing for arbitration and a contract that could approach $4 million per season. The Bruins have just over $6 million in cap space available to sign both players.
Frederic and the team could still reach a middle ground and come to terms on a deal before August 1. The right-shot forward could fight for a middle-six spot on the Bruins roster this season.
