When the United States opens up at the 2018 World Junior Championship later this month, Trent Frederic will play a prominent role.
Frederic, the second of two first round picks of the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Draft, was bypassed when USA Hockey brass selected the roster for last year’s World Junior team that captured Gold in Montreal. But, this year Frederic is expected to center one of the middle six lines for the U.S. with the event on American soil in Buffalo.
The St. Louis, Mo., native has had an up and down first half statistically for Tony Granato’s Badgers. He’s posted eight goals and eight assists in 21 games played after putting up over a point per game during his freshman season in 2016-17. However, the value Frederic brings to the ice goes well past the box score.
Frederic, who was selected 29th overall out of the U.S. NTDP, has always been known for being an elite defensive-oriented center. He’s the type of player that coaches want on the ice in all situations due to his high hockey IQ.
“We want him on the ice 60 minutes a game. He’s positionally sound. He wins battles. He bears down on every face-off. Everything you ask of him system-wise, he does. There’s very little you have to explain to him. Very rarely does he make a mistake,” Granato complimented after a game earlier this season.
“He’s a smart, intelligent player that is reliable. He makes his linemates better. He can make big plays,” added Granato who will coach the U.S. at the 2018 Olympics in Pyongyang, South Korea.
When watching Frederic, several things stand out immediately. He’s a strong skater with good size. He engages in the defensive zone and retrieves pucks in all three zones. He’s rarely caught out of position and he’s on the ice a lot – even strength, power play and penalty kill.
“Playing both ways: offense and defense. I pride myself on playing a 200-foot game,” said Frederic.
Frederic’s offensive game has come a long way in his time at Wisconsin, but he’s continuously working to get better in the attacking zone.
“The offensive side of the game,” said Frederic of what the UW coaching staff has helped him with the most. “They’ve helped me be more poised. I’m playing with more confidence this year.”
A lot of Frederic's goals come in the dirty areas. With his size and skating ability, he can bull his way to the net and generate chances in the slot. He's not the type of player that's going to beat defenders with toe-drags and other finesse moves.
Frederic attended the Bruins Development Camp for the second straight year this past July. He came away impressed with Warrior Ice Arena, Boston’s new practice facility.
“It was great. The new facility was cool to check it out. It was an upgrade from the last one,” said Frederic.
Frederic is a prospect that will be heavily scrutinized because the Bruins picked him significantly higher than most had predicted. While he may never put up big numbers offensively, Frederic projects as a strong candidate to pivot Boston’s second or third line well into the future.
