It’s been a few days since the Boston Bruins have played, and when they hit the ice once again, there will be a new look on the third line.
Although, it is a somewhat familiar look.
After a few games of Charlie Coyle centering Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork, the expectation is Trent Frederic will go on the third line left wing and Craig Smith the right for Thursday’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils.
DeBrusk bumps up to the first line right wing as a result, with David Pastrnak beside David Krejci and Nick Ritchie on the second unit. Bjork will go to the fourth line
Though it’s a combination that hasn’t been used much lately, the Frederic-Coyle-Smith unit has gotten some run together already this season. And for now, the plan is for the 23-year-old Frederic to yo-yo between the third and fourth lines.
“Freddy’s a big body, and we were hoping to build a line like that,” Bruins head coach Cassidy said Wednesday over Zoom. “Some injuries kind of forced us to take a different path, but now we’re getting back to being a little closer to full health, so we’ll move it back and forth. …
“We’re trying to get him to be the best player he can be, trust him in all situations until he finds his offensive game, so we’ll use him on both lines. I don’t think it’s any means to get Charlie going, Charlie is the driver of that line, he understands that, so that’s the responsibility that usually goes with the centerman. … Whether it’s Bjork or Freddy, Charlie has to be the driver of that line, and hopefully that happens.”
Credit to Frederic, he has found a way to be an impactful player even though the scoring hasn’t come along quite yet in the NHL. He’s shown flashes of offensive potential in the lower levels, but his play in other aspects of the game will keep him in the lineup while he tries to get that area to come around.
