In the middle of the offseason, hockey news slows down and rumors start to dominate the news cycle. While they are sometimes true, they are often false, like the recent rumor report that went around about Patrice Bergeron being likely to return for the 2023-24 season when, in fact, he recently announced his retirement. The middle of the offseason is also a time for speculation, which has been happening a lot in recent weeks on the future of Jake DeBrusk with the Boston Bruins.
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Since coming into the NHL during the 2017-18 season, DeBrusk has had some highs and very low lows in his short career. But last season seemed to be a turning point as he put together the best season of his career and proved his abilities on the ice. He cemented himself as a vital part of the Bruins’ offense, showcased by the team’s struggles in his absence after suffering a foot injury in the Winter Classic.
DeBrusk is entering into a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Given the Bruins’ current cap situation and their restricted free agents Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic are still unsigned, there is likely going to be no extension signed this offseason. This has fueled speculation and interest around the league about what his future with the team will be and if a trade could be looming.
The Bruins should have a vested interest in maintaining DeBrusk on the roster. They, thus, cannot be hasty in making a decision when it comes to one of their top wings. Nothing should be done until the trade deadline at the earliest.
Why the Bruins Should Keep Him
At 26, DeBrusk is coming off the best season of his career and it still feels like he hasn’t reached his fullest potential. Last season, in 64 games, he had 27 goals and 50 points. He matched his career high in goals and set a new career high in total points in a season. He also registered career highs in power-play points, shots, and shooting percentage. Again, he set these career highs in only 64 games after missing several weeks due to a foot injury in the Winter Classic. A full season of a healthy DeBrusk could easily surpass the 30-goal mark.
In the last season and a half since his trade request that he later rescinded, DeBrusk has fully grown into the top-six winger the Bruins had been searching for. As most know, prior to last season, the team struggled to generate consistent offense outside of guys named Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. Since his turn around in 2022, DeBrusk has been a consistent presence.
Given how long it took for them to find chemistry amongst the forwards, the Bruins shouldn’t be looking to blow it up too soon, particularly with Bergeron’s exit, Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha signed long term, and only a few more years of Marchand left. They cannot do a full rebuild given the level of talent they have signed long term, and need to figure out to build on the fly despite their cap situation. DeBrusk should be part of the team’s future plans and the utmost effort should be made to keep him on the roster.
That being said, even without the cap hell the Bruins are in, they should wait to sign DeBrusk’s extension until after the season has started. It’s the best for both sides as he continues to prove that he can consistently be the player he’s shown himself to be the last year and a half, earning him a bigger payday and allowing the team to feel more secure in committing to him.
Avoiding the Worst Option
For the Bruins, the worst option is obviously losing a young talent like DeBrusk in free agency, which is very much an option on the table. The team’s cap situation might make it impossible to re-sign him, in which case, don’t be surprised to see his name thrown around when the trade deadline comes about, especially if the team is not in a playoff position. If they are, he’ll most likely be a “rental” of sorts where they keep him for a playoff run and accept that he’ll most likely leave in the offseason.
But again, losing DeBrusk in any way is the worst option, and trading him away from the team too soon could have a bigger impact than one would expect. With Bergeron gone, now more than ever, the Bruins are going to need help generating offense. He may not be a center, but he knows how to get pucks in the back of the net. Given his experience, he could also be very beneficial for a new young center to play with, particularly if they decide to keep Zacha and Pastrnak together after the chemistry they generated this season.
The Bruins have options to make cap space if necessary. Derek Forbort’s name has been floated around as a buyout possibility or a trade piece. Linus Ullmark’s name was also circulated around the draft. Losing him would definitely not be ideal, but he could get decent value on the trade market, particularly at the deadline.
Cap Space Conundrum
Something will have to give, but all efforts should be made to keep DeBrusk in the black and gold. There is a chance that the Bruins may not be able to afford him, particularly if he has another stellar season in 2023-24, but he shouldn’t be someone the team is rushing to offload like they did with Taylor Hall. DeBrusk could easily be a part of the team’s future, especially if they are trying to quickly rebuild on the fly.
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The problem comes down to cap space. The Bruins have very little of it, even after trading Hall, and letting Tyler Bertuzzi go in free agency. They acquired some cheap talent in free agency, but will need to clear more space and hope that there is a more significant increase next season if they want to be able to keep DeBrusk. They should also strongly, strongly consider giving some prospects legitimate looks in the NHL this season, which would provide them with some cheaper roster pieces.
DeBrusk may be an attractive trade piece to a lot of teams around the NHL, but the Bruins know more than most how much impact good chemistry among the forward lines can have. They spent years acquiring different wings that didn’t quite work out. Having a guy like DeBrusk who has proven to work in your lineup is not someone who should be traded away lightly or in a simple salary dumping move. Their prospects are unproven, and they don’t have the assets or cap space to make a splashy trade, so replacing him with an equal or greater talent does not seem possible in the foreseeable future. The effort should just be put in maintaining his spot on this team.