The Wild Could Turn To Trent Frederic For Ryan Hartman Insurance

The Minnesota Wild want to build a tough team. 

Many fans fell in love with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Some fans would want Brady on the Wild. Unfortunately, it looks like the Ottawa Senators have completed their rebuild and are improving, so Brady’s off-limits. 

However, the Wild should target Trent Frederic, who will be a free agent this offseason. Frederick is less productive than Tkachuk but also brings toughness. 

Frederic is public enemy No. 1 in Minnesota because he hit Kirill Kaprizov into the boards in 2022, initiating a fight between former Wild defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and Frederic. Kaprizov didn’t sustain an injury, but it could have been worse. 

Before you say that you don’t want Frederic, consider how we feel about him and how other fans feel about Ryan Hartman. However, the Wild gets better size in Frederic, and he will stir up more trouble. That will cause opposing teams to limit their physical approach to defending Kaprizov. 

What role will Frederic play for the Wild? 

Let’s say the Wild trade for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. If the Wild move on from Liam Ohgren in that deal, they will need another power forward. 

Zuccarello will play with Marco Rossi and Danila Yurov on the second line, which should make for an effective secondary scoring line. Frederic can play a shutdown role and play physically against the opponents’ stars. 

He can play alongside Joel Eriksson Ek and Marat Khusnutdinov, who are also agitators. 

Let’s say that the Wild move Hartman to the fourth line between Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin. That makes Freddy Gaudreau the odd man out to be the team’s 13th forward. Gaudreau may be a pricey 13th forward, but he can step in if the Wild must scatch Hartman for lackluster play and taking bad penalties. 

Frederic can be a dominant net-front presence on the second powerplay unit. Teams will hate to play on the penalty kill because Eriksson Ek and Frederic will be effective garbagemen. Frederic can play with Rossi, Yurov, Zuccarello, and Zeev Buium after his college career ends. That’s a lot of talent, considering Frederic can be a 25-goal scorer and 50-point producer. 

Frederic will be cost-effective for the Wild in free agency 

If the Wild extend Kaprizov and Rossi, the Wild must fill out the roster with cost-effective players. Frederic’s next contract will likely be a four-year contract worth $4 million, much like Foligno’s. However, the Wild won’t have to offer Frederic a No-Movement Clause (NMC). The Wild could go after Brock Boeser if they wanted to create more scoring depth, but will Boeser accept anything less than $5 million?

Is Boeser the right fit for Guerin’s system? Frederic brings less offense than Boeser but can play a more sustainable role. 

Signing Frederic sets the tone for Charlie Stramel 

Stramel will continue his development as a senior at Michigan State. Still, he might make the Wild roster in 2026-27. Zuccarello will be off the books, and Minnesota can use additional size. The Wild can move Eriksson Ek back to the second line to center Rossi and Yurov, and Stramel can join Khusnutdinov and Frederic. Or the Wild can wait another year for Hartman’s contract to expire. That would give Stramel a year to develop in Iowa, which would be ideal for Guerin’s slower development process. 

The thought of Stramel and Frederic playing together brings excitement. By playing with Frederic, Stramel can learn to be a more effective power forward. Adding a speed demon in Khusnutdinov on the opposing wing makes these three even more dangerous as a shutdown line. 

By adding Frederic and Larkin, the Wild would have completed their top-six in Kaprizov, Boldy, Larkin, Rossi, Eriksson Ek, and Yurov, making them a worthy contender. Can Hunter Haight, Riley Heidt, or Mikey Milne make the jump when Hartman and Frederic’s contracts expire? 

Adding Frederic only makes the Wild harder to play against. They’re creating their version of Team USA from the 4 Nations Face-Off by signing him. Frederic is cost-effective, will help the Wild bring more energy when needed, and will stand up for teammates. He knows how to become a public enemy, but the Wild will have him on their side.