Perfect Bottom-Six Center for Maple Leafs Hits the Trade Block, per Elliotte Friedman
A bottom-six option has emerged that could be a low-risk addition for the Toronto Maple Leafs but it involves trading with their biggest arch-enemies.
Although most top trade rumors involving the Toronto Maple Leafs have come in the form of potential acquisitions in the team's top-six, one potential trade target could be a reasonable add for reliability and affordability.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the '32 Thoughts' podcast, the Sportsnet NHL Insider states that Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic is a name that is appearing in trade conversations, with it apparent that interest from multiple teams throughout the NHL.
As of right now, the Bruins sit just a game back of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but face a deeply competitive fight between teams for the last playoff berths.
Only two years removed since breaking the NHL record for most points in a season by a team with 135, the Bruins have struggled.
With the retirements of longtime key stars in Patrice Bergeron & David Krejci, as well as the losses of talents such as Linus Ullmark & Jake DeBrusk, it's a far cry from the former powerhouse of old.
A lack of prospect depth has also made it difficult to find replacements internally for the Bruins to continue being competitive long-term.
Now it appears they may start looking at potential selling options, starting with Trent Frederic.
Could The Toronto Maple Leafs Be In On Trent Frederic?
The Toronto Maple Leafs do need impact forward help, but just as much lack much in terms of bottom-six offensive production.
Frederic, 27, has eight goals and 15 points in 56 games this season for the Boston Bruins.
For his past two seasons however, he has 35 goals and 46 assists in 161 games as a third-line player, but shined in the playoffs with two game-winning goals against the Maple Leafs last year.
Besides Nick Robertson, who himself has been a potential trade piece, the Leafs don't have a consistent bottom-six player who has matched Frederic's output, especially in goalscoring.
It may be more necessary to get support in the bottom-six where players are struggling to produce rather than what has been an efficient top-six.
Frederic offers a cheap and reliable option with comfort playing in the Atlantic, and only makes $2.3M for the season, with him being a free agent come July 1.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to improve, they may need to focus less on adding to where they already succeed, and work towards fixing the areas of their team that needs patching rather than compensating for what isn't working.
That starts with trading for Boston's Trent Frederic.
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