Three players to watch before NHL trade freeze
With the freeze fast approaching, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested three players who may be on the move in the coming days.
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The end of December doesn’t just mark the season of festive cheer, it also marks a unique period in the NHL schedule — the holiday roster freeze.
However, just because teams are forbidden from making trades between Dec. 20 and Dec. 27, it doesn’t mean they won’t try for some transactions in the days leading up to the freeze.
With the freeze fast approaching, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested three players who may be on the move in the coming days.
“One of them we’re going to see tonight in the back end of our double header and that’s Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins,” Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada.
The bruising forward is on the final year of a two-year, $4.6 million contract with the Bruins and is set to become a free agent following this season.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that what’s true today may not be true tomorrow when it comes to contract negotiations, so I’m not going to handicap it,” Friedman added. “The Bruins are getting a lot of calls, ‘What are you thinking here? Will you keep him? Will he be available?’ He’s a guy that’s definitely got a lot of interest.”
The 26-year-old is a seven-year NHL veteran and notched a career-high in goals (18), assists (22) and points (40) in the 2023-24 season. In 311 career games, Frederic has 52 goals, 53 assists and 291 penalty minutes.
Friedman also suggested that a blueliner on the West Coast could be on the move.
“In Vancouver, reports surfaced this week that they are trying to move defenceman Vincent Desharnais. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out as well as player and team hoped,” Friedman reported. “I did hear a little bit [that] the Canucks prefer draft picks in return because they wanted some roster and cap flexibility. But the Canucks are, I have now heard, willing to consider all options in order to help get Desharnais a fresh start.”
The 28-year-old defenceman was a free-agent signing for Vancouver on July 1, inking a two-year, $4 million contract with the Canucks. He’s played 17 games with the club, registering two goals and two assists while playing primarily on the bottom pair, though he’s been made a healthy scratch by head coach Rick Tocchet numerous times this season.
It’s also possible that two-time Stanley Cup winner Brandon Saad will be on the market, as the St. Louis Blues made the forward a healthy scratch ahead of Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars.
“Saad is in the third year of his contract. He has one more year remaining at a $4.5 million AAV,” Friedman added. “The Blues would like to move him. He’s got a no-trade clause, but I’m told he’s been willing to consider some other options.”
The 32-year-old spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche before signing with the Blues in 2021.
In 890 career NHL games, Saad has 257 goals and 252 assists.
With some teams already making moves, be prepared for a potentially eventful stretch of time in the NHL.
