In this edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, general manager (GM) Don Sweeney discussed his thoughts on the possibility of a Jake DeBrusk contract extension. In other news, the Bruins have been named the most likely team to regress in 2023-23. Lastly, new Bruins captain Brad Marchand has been voted as the NHL’s biggest chirper. Let’s go over all of this in today’s Bruins News and Rumors column.
Sweeney Confirms He Wants to Keep DeBrusk In Boston
DeBrusk made it clear that he wants to sign an extension with the Bruins earlier this offseason but also recently commented that talks have been quiet. Yet, it appears that the feeling is mutual with Sweeney, as the Bruins GM expressed that he wants to keep DeBrusk in Boston. Here’s what he had to say to reporters:
“We’re going to have communication with Jake and his representation [and] we’d like to know if Jake indeed does want to be here. And hopefully, we can find common ground. Besides that, you guys know enough that I’m not going to comment on anything publicly. But we’d like to see Jake remain with the Boston Bruins.”
Don Sweeney
With both sides expressing clear interest in a contract extension, it certainly seems likely that a new deal will be reached. It also makes sense that Sweeney wants to keep DeBrusk around, as he is coming off a career-best season. In 64 games, he scored 27 goals and recorded a career-high 50 points.
DeBrusk, 26, has emerged as a core piece of the Bruins’ roster, and it would be great to see him land a long-term extension with the team because of it. We will need to wait and see if Sweeney and DeBrusk can finalize a new deal for from here.
Bruins Named Most Likely Team to Regress in 2023-24
The Athletic’s Murat Ates recently wrote an article discussing which five NHL teams are most likely to regress in 2023-24 (from ‘Bruins and Golden Knights among 5 NHL teams most likely to regress in 2023-24, The Athletic, 9/21/23). On his list, he had the Bruins as the club most likely to regress.
Naturally, regression is expected for the Bruins this season. I mean, even if they kept the 2022-23 roster completely intact, expecting them to hit 65 wins and 135 points again would be unreasonable. Last year’s regular-season magic may never be replicated again by any club. However, as Ates noted, the Bruins’ several notable offseason subtractions, like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Bertuzzi, will also make it quite difficult to be as good as last season.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Marchand, Training Camp & Harrison
However, Ates also noted that he still sees the Bruins as a playoff-caliber team even after their rough offseason. There certainly is an argument to be had there, as they still possess an excellent defensive group and an elite goaltending tandem.
Marchand Voted NHL’s Biggest Chirper
In another article from The Athletic, they shared the results of an entertaining player poll (from ‘NHL player poll: Who’s the top chirper? What city should be next in expansion?’ The Athletic, 9/21/23). In it, a group of NHLers were asked who the biggest chirper in the NHL is. Without any surprise, Marchand received the most votes. Behind him tied for second place were Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
It is not a secret that Marchand has become famous for chirper and funny antics, both on and off the ice. This, along with his elite skill, has made him one of the most impactful forwards in the NHL for quite some time. Clearly, the rest of the league recognizes this based on the result of this player poll.
When Tkachuk heard the results of this poll, he agreed that Marchand is the top chirper in the NHL, while praising Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty as the same.
