In case you missed it, Bruins’ Twitter was briefly aflutter final week with the rumor of a potential commerce that concerned Jake DeBrusk being despatched to the New York Islanders for Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Considering the 2 normal managers that may be concerned in such a deal – Don Sweeney and Lou Lamoriello – aren’t precisely recognized for his or her free lips, chances are high that little nugget was equal elements spitballing and hypothesis. Tis the season.
But it gained’t be the final time DeBrusk’s identify pops up in commerce discuss.
Such is life for a participant of DeBrusk’s caliber who has only one yr left on his contract earlier than unrestricted free company. Matt Grzelcyk, in the identical boat, has been dwelling with such rumors all summer season.
The B’s must determine DeBrusk’s intentions pretty shortly. And additionally they need to suss out simply how a lot they might be prepared to pay for DeBrusk’s providers. He gained’t come as cheaply because the $4 million AAV that the B’s might be paying him in 2023-24.
The B’s respect DeBrusk’s skills, as evidenced by Sweeney not giving in to the trade-him-for-a-bag-of-pucks crowd that solely grew in numbers when DeBrusk’s commerce request grew to become public in November 2021.
That was a great choice. DeBrusk, a clearly gifted however maddeningly inconsistent winger in his first few years within the league, abruptly appeared to get it. Former coach Bruce Cassidy, with whom DeBrusk now not clicked, put him on a 3rd line and he did the job. When he was wanted on a fourth line, he did the job. And when Cassidy bumped him as much as play with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, he did the job there, too.
Last season, after Cassidy was fired and Jim Montgomery took over, DeBrusk continued his upward trajectory, displaying as much as play each evening. If he had not missed a month with a damaged leg, which he suffered within the Winter Classic earlier than scoring each targets (a lot for the lingering expenses that he’s “soft”) within the 2-1 win, he would have been flirting with a 40-goal season. As it was, he tied a profession excessive with 27, continued to show himself as being equally adept at taking part in the pure left wing or off wing and he additionally confirmed that his pace might be a useful weapon on the penalty kill. And he’s first rate as a net-front presence on the ability play. He’s not fairly pretty much as good because the now departed Tyler Bertuzzi, however he’s serviceable there.
In different phrases, DeBrusk is an all-situations participant who can skate and fill the web, and the B’s understand it. He’s obtained loads of worth.
But how a lot will they be prepared to pay? Would $6 million be an excessive amount of for his or her liking? And would DeBrusk be prepared to skip his first massive crack on the open market to signal a long-term cope with the B’s?
While a number of free brokers didn’t get the offers that they had hoped for this summer season – together with Bertuzzi and Tomas Nosek – there’s anticipated to be more cash within the system with a greater bump of the wage cap subsequent yr. On the opposite hand, extra star energy is projected to be within the free agent pool, together with Auston Matthews, Steven Stamkos, Sebastian Aho, Jonathan Marchessault and Bertuzzi. Some of these gamers, in fact, will little doubt have their conditions resolved by July 1, 2024, however expertise ought to be out there, which might improve the competitors for these further {dollars}.
We reached out to his agent, Rick Valette, final week to attempt to gauge how DeBrusk is leaning however didn’t get a response.
The B’s had been in the identical spot presently final yr with David Pastrnak. But although it took some time to get the deal carried out, that state of affairs by no means gave the impression to be one which was at risk of going off the rails. Pastrnak needed to remain, the B’s needed him and, with a uncommon expertise like Pastrnak, it was clear that the B’s must pay up. And they did, with the richest contract in workforce historical past (eight years, $90 million).
But DeBrusk just isn’t a franchise participant like Pastrnak. He’s simply an excellent one, and it may be harder to land on a price for these kind of men.
In an ideal world, DeBrusk would stay a Bruin for a very long time. Both participant and workforce rode over some tough seas to get DeBrusk to the place he’s right this moment. And he’s one in every of simply two success tales (Brandon Carlo being the opposite) from that haunting 2015 draft.
But if the B’s get an inkling that DeBrusk needs to check the market, they need to act. And whereas the hypothesis that linked him to the centerman Pageau is logical, given the B’s want for centermen, it goals too low. Pageau is an efficient participant, and one which has given the B’s matches, however he’s a third-liner.
If there’s not a long-term match right here, the B’s ought to be trying to get DeBrusk again to his house province of Alberta in Calgary, the place the Flames are little doubt in search of a great touchdown spot for Elias Lindholm, who up to now hasn’t been prepared to increase previous the final yr of his deal that expires subsequent summer season. He’d be pricey for the B’s to re-up, and that must be a part of any potential deal, however Lindholm is the type of two-way centerman that the B’s have been attempting and failing to draft and develop over the past decade. There’s some contemporary spitballing for you.
Two years in the past when DeBrusk requested for a commerce, the B’s held all of the playing cards. It’s true that quite a bit has modified since then. But now the steadiness of energy is shifting. How DeBrusk chooses to flex that newfound muscle might have an effect on the course of the franchise for years to come back. …
But wait, there’s extra
If the perimeters can’t discover frequent floor on contract extensions, we must always discover out this week how far aside the B’s are with restricted free brokers Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic when the perimeters submit their arbitration provides. Swayman’s listening to is scheduled for July 30 and Frederic’s is about for Aug. 1 …
Lastly, would I wish to know if Patrice Bergeron is coming again like everyone else? Of course. But if the captain decides he needs to play one other yr and is prepared to in some way match himself into the B’s present wage construction, I’m greater than advantageous with the B’s giving him that area this summer season to check out his physique and make that call.
And they need to nonetheless pursue Elias Lindholm, whether or not Bergeron returns or not.
Source: www.bostonherald.com