It has been a great centennial season for the Boston Bruins. The expectations going in were for them to be competitive and strive to make this special season worth something. It is tremendous what head coach Jim Montgomery has been able to do with this hockey team during a season where questions rightfully surrounded them entering it. This summer saw the team lose Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Dmitry Orlov, which created a lot of holes on the active roster.
It forced general manager Don Sweeney to go to the bargain bin, which has worked out tremendously. James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Morgan Geekie have all played vital roles and have impacted the club in major ways. Most importantly, the club had gotten players such as Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle to take the next steps and be a force.
One player that was pegged to take those next steps is Jake DeBrusk. Given the departures of key goal scorers, he is the guy the club needs to produce. It has been an interesting season for DeBrusk, which begs the question what the club should do with him as the campaign enters its second half.
Examining DeBrusk’s 2023-24 Season
The sky was the limit for DeBrusk, as he went on to tie his career high in goals in 27 during the historic 2022-23 season. Everything was beginning to click for him and the expectation was to see him take the next step forward. The key departures mentioned above presented hm the perfect opportunity for him to seize a bigger role role. However, things did not go well from a production standpoint to start the season.
In the first 21 games, DeBrusk had nine points and didn’t record his first goal until the ninth game of the season. It took him time to finally find his stride and eventually things began to improve. To begin December, he was streaky and hadn’t found the back of the net for 11-straight games. However, the streak finally ended and the Bruins are now getting the best version of DeBrusk.
Since Dec. 27, DeBrusk has six goals and has finally hit the 10 goal mark for the 2023-24 season. In addition, he has 11 points in his last 12 games and has been a near point-per-game player. The trials have now turned into triumphs and the Bruins are reaping the benefits. Everyone will look at the production, which is behind last season’s pace as he is on pace for 19 goals and 41 points. However, his impacts go beyond his production and show how valuable he is to the team.
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Good things happen when DeBrusk is on the ice. The Bruins are controlling the shot attempts 52.02% of the time, which is second best among forwards. A major key offensively is that when he is on the ice, the Bruins are finding ways to get pucks through traffic (51.68% Fenwick For), which has led to a huge positive shot differential. Boston is outscoring the opposition 26-13 at five on five with DeBrusk on the ice and are outshooting opponents 296-256. Puck possession is key and he has been a force for the team when deployed onto the ice.
DeBrusk also stands out defensively and he has logged bigger minutes on the top two lines. With DeBrusk on the ice, the Bruins have surrendered the seventh-most expected goals against (22.11). Facing stiffer competition, that’s not bad. With DeBrusk on the ice, the Bruins are controlling the high danger areas of the ice, as they have allowed the seventh-fewest attempts and have a goal differential of 18-4.
DeBrusk has a lot of value and whether it is with the Bruins or elsewhere. It make you wonder, what will the Bruins do with him?
What to do With DeBrusk Going Forward
Sweeney has a tough decision to make, as DeBrusk is on the final year of his contract. It remains to be seen how the player values himself compared to how the team values him. With the Bruins sitting at the top of the Atlantic Division and likely locked for a playoff berth, do the Bruins deal DeBrusk or do they extend him?
Trade Him
After a slow start, DeBrusk is heating up and at the right time. When it comes to the Trade Deadline, any team looking for added scoring may give Sweeney a call. With the Bruins not having a first or second-round pick in the upcoming draft, the Bruins could look to move the winger who has boosted his value in recent weeks. The only problem with that is it creates a hole on the roster that the team would need to fill. If Sweeney wants to avoid a Johnny Gaudreau type of situation in Calgary, parting ways for something is better than losing him for nothing.
Extend Him
DeBrusk may not be the top-six scoring winger the team has hoped for but he is an impactful player that fits the mould of Bruins hockey. Playing alongside Bergeron all those years has rubbed off on him, as he has emerged as a two-way winger who is responsible in a defensive role and he can play in all situations.
DeBrusk made a trade request during the 2021-22 season but decided to rescind that request. It shows he wants to remain with the black and gold and Sweeney has made it publicly known that he wants to keep DeBrusk in town.
If Sweeney had to sign DeBrusk last season, the price tag would have much higher. Given the down season production wise, the price tag likely has come down. Needless to say, extending him would be huge but it remains to be seen what happens because things have been quiet on that front.
Time to Make A Call
The March 8 Trade Deadline is approaching and eventually a decision needs to be made. DeBrusk is a streaky player but the Bruins have not given up on him. Despite his lack of production, he has proven to be a factor in other areas and a key asset.
The Bruins are rolling and are in the thick of the Presidents’ Trophy race. Given the team has few assets to part with in terms of draft capital, hanging onto any key player makes sense. It is a tricky situation with DeBrusk and is something to monitor going forward.
