The Boston Bruins officially look like sellers as the NHL Trade Deadline nears after dealing forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones to the Edmonton Oilers in a three-team deal that also involved the New Jersey Devils.

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In the swap, the Bruins gained the rights to prospect Max Wanner, who had been playing for Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Wanner will report to the AHL’s Providence Bruins. 

Boston also earned a pair of draft picks including a 2025 second-round pick that originally belonged to the St. Louis Blues and the Oilers’ 2026 fourth-round pick.

The Devils, which took on half of Frederic’s remaining salary, earned the rights to unsigned prospect and Boston University captain Shane Lachance. 

In addition to Jones and Federic, the Oilers also received the rights to unsigned Devils draft pick Petr Hauser who currently plays in the Czech pro league.

Jones is expected to report to Bakersfield following the deal. He had put up 21 points in 38 games with Providence prior to the trade.

Who is Max Wanner?

Wanner is a 21-year-old right-shot defenseman who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds. He was a seventh-round pick by Edmonton in the 2021 NHL Draft, going 212th overall. He has spent each of the last two seasons with Bakersfield with 90 total AHL games under his belt so far.

Wanner recently returned from a 28-game absence dating back to Dec. 14. He was a plus-1 in Bakersfield's 5-4 shootout win over San Diego Saturday night.

The Saskatchewan native has size and plays a more physical, defensive style with limited offensive upside. In 22 games with Bakersfield this season, Wanner has just two points. If he is going to make it in the NHL as a regular, it will be as a rugged, shut-down defenseman who provides depth. 

He has good range and mobility, which allows him to defend adequately and he has a bit of a mean streak in him, too. Wanner can throw big body checks and will defend himself or his teammates when necessary. He has just two fighting majors this season, though.

Wanner has overshot his draft slot already with earning an NHL contract and getting significant minutes in the AHL. He will, in the short-term, help the Providence Bruins as they continue pushing for a deep playoff run. They’re currently second in the AHL’s Atlantic Division behind two-time defending champion Hershey Bears.

Prior to embarking on his pro career, Wanner played for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL. He had 58 points in 121 games over his junior career with the club. 

In 2003, Wanner and three teammates were suspended for the balance of the regular season pending an investigation by the WHL into an undisclosed off-ice incident. The league released the following statement at the end of that investigation: "Though the conduct of the players was not found to be criminal in nature, the conduct was determined to be a violation of team and league rules including the WHL Standard of Conduct policies, as outlined in the WHL Personal Conduct Policy."

Wanner and his teammates were reinstated and played with the Warriors that postseason.

Providence is back in action Friday night against the Toronto Marlies.

Who Is Shane Lachance?

The Devils got a nice little reward for retaining half of Trent Frederic’s salary and it’s a player they’re especially familiar with. Shane Lachance is the captain for Boston University’s men’s hockey team, but is also the son of Devils director of U.S. scouting and former NHL player Scott Lachance.

Shane looks poised to follow in his father’s footsteps to the NHL. At 6-foot-5, 218 pounds, he is a power winger with scoring potential. He also has a winning pedigree, captaining the Youngstown Phantoms to the USHL’s Clark Cup two years ago.

In 72 career games in the NCAA with BU, he has 52 points. Lachance could potentially benefit from another year of school to continue rounding out his game and become more dominant. Meanwhile, the Devils certainly shouldn’t have a hard time getting him under contract even if they wait a little while.

Lachance projects as a bottom-six power winger who can provide scoring depth. As a high-character player with a proven pedigree, getting a player like him as opposed to the draft picks that are usually part of the return for retaining salary is probably a better overall deal for the Devils. There’s a bit more of a known quantity with Lachance.

BU is currently No. 10 in the USCHO.com Men's College Hockey Poll and is looking to make a deep postseason run.

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