I’ll preface this by saying, let’s hope I’m wrong, and Jake DeBrusk goes on to win multiple Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins. I hope his number is retired, he’s inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and this article becomes a stain on my portfolio.
With that said, Jake DeBrusk’s time with the Bruins could be coming to an end. Despite a resurgence to end the calendar year, No. 74 is likely Boston’s greatest trade chip heading into the trade deadline.
DeBrusk: A Player of Many Streaks
DeBrusk’s career has been full of hot and cold streaks. When he’s on a tear, he is one of the most dominant forces on the ice and can propel the team to victory. When he’s cold, well, it can get ugly.
On the surface, it doesn’t look too bad: he consistently provides over 30 points a season, and last season, he matched his career-high of 27 goals. He also set a new career-high with 50 points.
This season, however, DeBrusk has potted just six goals and 10 assists in 34 games, including four points on the power play. His shooting percentage of 8.1% is the lowest of his career, other than the pandemic-abbreviated 2020-21 season when he scored on less than 6% of his shots. These stats come despite playing an average of 17 minutes per game thus far, another career high.
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It’s safe to say DeBrusk was in a three-month-long cold streak that started when the season began in October. However, a hot streak seems to be in the works. In his past three games, he’s tallied five points, including some crucial goals: one against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 30 and the game-winner against the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 31.
DeBrusk’s Contract Up For Renewal
Complicating matters is that DeBrusk’s two-year, $8 million contract expires at the end of this season when he will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) for the first time. The Bruins also have several players up for renewal this offseason: Jeremy Swayman, Oskar Steen and Parker Wotherspoon will be restricted free agents (RFAs), while Matt Gryzelcyk, James van Riemsdyk, Danton Heinen, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Derek Forbort will be UFAs.
Not all of those players will be coming back, and Swayman and Gryzelcyk are likely highest on the list of priorities to re-sign. DeBrusk might be next after those two, and his team might want to hold off and see if he can earn another $4 million or more. His play so far this season spells something lower than that, and he might see the open market as his best bet at a payday.
DeBrusk’s Trade Value
Despite his mostly underwhelming performance this season and UFA status, DeBrusk still has decent trade value. The 27-year-old has proven that he can be a formidable top-six winger when he’s on his game, and a team trading for him will have hopes of dismantling that streaky side of his game – a change of scenery and organization sometimes propels a player to new heights.
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DeBrusk has been the subject of trade rumors in the past and even asked for one in the 2021-22 season. However, he rescinded that request after Bruce Cassidy left to coach the Vegas Golden Knights and Jim Montgomery became head coach of the Bruins.
Packaged with a young player, prospect, or picks, the Bruins could get a decent return for the former first-round pick to help them this season or in the future. The team could be hesitant to move him if he has a great second half, but that will also add to his value. It’s likely something the front office has been debating for some time.
I don’t envy them.
