Trent Frederic's time in Boston may be coming to an end.

Since drafting him in the first round (29th overall) of the 2016 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins have enjoyed the services of gritty forward Trent Frederic.

Frederic is a player that very much embodies the Bruins ethos of being a hard nosed type of player, one that never shies away from a confrontation and one who is always willing to stick up for his teammates when the moment calls for it. As a result Frederic has become a very popular figure amongst the Bruins fan base but unfortunately that style of play may also contribute to his time in the city of Boston rapidly coming to a close.

On Monday, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman indicated that teams around the league were swarming the Bruins with interest in Frederic which has put the Bruins in something of a difficult position. If the Bruins do not believe they can come to terms on a new deal with Frederic, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, then is it not in their best interest to trade the player for maximum value?

"There are definitely some teams out there that feel that the Bruins and Frederic won't be able to get the deal done," revealed Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "There's uncertainty about whether or not the Bruins are actually going to be able to get Frederic done."

If the Bruins are indeed unable to sign Frederic it sounds like there will be no shortage of interest from teams heading to the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, which could mean a big return for the Bruins in a trade.

"He's the kind of player that playoff teams are gonna want," added Friedman. "They are really gonna want a guy like that. He's a good teammate, he's competitive."

It sounds like the St. Louis Blues, who have been extremely active since this summer, are also one of the teams that may have Frederic on their radar.

"He's a St. Louis guy, his family are St. Louis people... and so there's a lot of people wondering if that's what's in his future," added Friedman.

Even if the Bruins were leaning towards signing Frederic, it sounds like the sheer amount of demand for the gritty forward could sway them before the deadline.

"We'll see where it goes," said Friedman. "Whatever the Bruins intentions are here, they are getting a lot of calls."