The Bruins owe it to themselves to make a tough call on Jake DeBrusk
Will Jake DeBrusk be on the Boston Bruins on March 9?
It’s a fair question, even though the Bruins are on pace for a high playoff seed and DeBrusk is a clear top-6 option on their roster. But this is, and always has been, a bridge year, and the last thing the Bruins should want in a bridge year is for DeBrusk to walk away for nothing.
MORE: Jake DeBrusk gets brutally honest on his status
So, it’s really decision time for Bruins GM Don Sweeney now. Is DeBrusk part of the future, or not? If he is not, then he should be wearing a different sweater after the NHL trade deadline passes on March 8. He should be swapped out for future assets.
(Click here to subscribe to the Sports Hub Underground podcast.)
DeBrusk recently admitted he can’t help but think about the possibility of being traded, considering he’s in the final season of a two-year, $8 million deal. He also said there’s been no progress on a possible extension.
There’s always a lot of “business” talk this time of year, and in Boston, DeBrusk should be at the center of it.
“You always have that in the back of your mind,” DeBrusk said Wednesday. “I mean, there’s obviously two years ago was a little more intense [on] that side of things. But I think ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been worried.”
It feels like Sweeney has already made his decision, that DeBrusk won’t be getting another contract, let alone a long-term extension. A possible comp would be Brandon Hagel’s eight-year deal for $52 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the same raw numbers as defenseman Hampus Lindholm. That sure seems like it’s not happening.
So, Sweeney owes it to himself and the team to make a tough call on DeBrusk, and possibly an unpopular one. It’s relatively rare for a playoff team to trade a core player off their roster at the deadline, and that wouldn’t send the best message to anyone hopeful that the Bruins could surprise people in the playoffs. It’ll present a fresh challenge for Jim Montgomery and the players to replace DeBrusk in the top-6.
But here’s the problem: the Bruins are still feeling the effects of years of trading draft picks to bolster the team. They don’t have a pick in the 2024 NHL Draft until the fourth round. It would be nice to recoup one or more of those picks for a guy who’s not going to be on the team anyway in a few months.
Sweeney can’t let DeBrusk become the new Torey Krug, who the Bruins ultimately lost for nothing in free agency in 2020. Loui Eriksson is another example. It’s the worst thing that a team can do with a valuable asset.
And that’s especially true in a bridge year. So, in a way, it’s not even a hard decision for the bridge Bruins. DeBrusk should be traded, since it seems he won’t be re-signed. It’ll be best for the Bruins and their future.
Get complete Boston Bruins coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.