It wasn’t a huge surprise by any means, but 2016 first-round pick Trent Frederic signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins, general manager Don Sweeney announced Tuesday.

Frederic, a sophomore alternate captain at Wisconsin, will forgo his last two years of NCAA eligibility. The contract starts in 2018-19, but he will report to Providence on an Amateur Tryout Agreement for the rest of this season.

It’s not common for an underclassman to wear a letter on a team with 17 upperclassmen, but Frederic developed into quite the leader during his brief collegiate career. Frederic’s freshman campaign — 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games — earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades. He ended his 2017-18 season with the same consistent production: 32 points (17 G, 15 A) in 36 games.

Frederic also sparked Team USA to a Bronze Medal at this year’s World Junior Championships in Buffalo — the very same place where the Bruins selected him 29th overall two years ago. He had a four-goal outburst against the Czech Republic during the Bronze Medal game.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward is a physical presence who is good at winning puck battles. Frederic has noted he wants to emulate David Backes’ game and has put on size and strength at Wisconsin to do so.

Frederic’s selection seemed like a reach at the time, but his two-year production at Wisconsin exceeded expectations. That consistent production on top of maintaining his two-way responsibility while growing in size and strength is certainly encouraging.

It’s not unreasonable to imagine Frederic having success in a depth center role eventually. That’s something the Bruins need to start thinking about, with Riley Nash’s free agency looming and Bruce Cassidy’s affinity for letting players develop in the American Hockey League for as long as possible.