Trent Frederic has come a long way since being drafted 29th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. At the time of his selection, many fans immediately soured on the idea of what Frederic could be, especially after then-director of amateur scouting Keith Gretzky admitted that the team didn’t view him as a top-six forward. This also came on the heels of the infamous 2015 Entry Draft, the team’s first under general manager Don Sweeney .
Fast-forward eight years and 280 games of NHL action, however, and the narrative and sentiment surrounding Frederic are anything but sour. The 26-year-old St. Louis native has proven season after season that he has the makings of a very good NHL forward.
Though it may have taken him some time to put it all together, that can be said about most players who transition from amateur to professional play. For Frederic, the transition wasn’t always easy and was far from seamless, but the outcome far outweighs the growing pains. At 6 foot 3 and 220 pounds, Frederic’s size was never going to come into question at the NHL level.
A professional frame from a young age helped Frederic perform at the collegiate level and in the AHL, but it wasn’t going to separate him from his peers in the NHL. Instead, he had to learn what it took to be a pro while playing alongside a team that featured a plethora of teammates who could help him reach his potential. To Frederic’s credit, all of this tutelage did not go to waste as he’s consistently put in work an.