BOSTON — Trent Frederic scored twice on Saturday afternoon for the Boston Bruins, and he knows he needs to score more.
Goals have been few and far between this year for Frederic this year, who says he’s feeling pressure to produce with his contract expiring at the end of this season.
“I’d like to say no, but I mean, you never know, maybe a little bit internally,” Frederic said after Boston’s 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden on Saturday. “I feel like every year I’ve been in the NHL, I’ve been fighting to stay in and get another contract. I don’t know if that’s just in my head, but that’s how it feels. You see guys get replaced easily in the NHL. It’s like that every year. There’s definitely a little bit, but nothing crazy.”
Through 29 games, Frederic is sitting on just 11 points and five goals. His two goals on Saturday were his first in nine games.
Frederic’s contract situation has made his name one that has frequently appeared in NHL trade rumors early this year. In theory, the Bruins should have plenty of teams interested in trading for the forward, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer for the first time in his career at only 27 years old.
However, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Frederic’s struggles on the ice have left potential suitors unsure whether or not the Bruins even want to re-sign him in the first place, which could severely impact what the team gets back for him in a trade.