Jake DeBrusk's Value To The Bruins
With the offseason in full swing, the Boston Bruins seem to have their roster largely set. Their only major move of the offseason has been signing Craig Smith to a three-year deal. The Bruins were also able to re-sign Matt Grzelcyk but lost Torey Krug in free agency. One player, however, who is still awaiting a new deal, is Jake DeBrusk. The former first-round pick has been a staple on the Bruins second line over the past three years but is coming off a season in which he struggled at times.
Over the past three years, DeBrusk has appeared in 203 regular games. In that span, he has scored 62 goals and recorded 58 assists. The Edmonton native has also been productive on the powerplay, where he has 30 career points. Since making his NHL debut DeBrusk has had a flair for the dramatics as he has scored 14 game-winning goals.
Additionally, DeBrusk has appeared in 49 playoff games and had some big moments. In the postseason, DeBrusk has recorded 23 points and scored three game-winning goals. Despite his success, the third year winger only had four goals last season and failed to record an assist in 11 games.
Throughout DeBrusk's career, his one fault has been consistency. The talented winger tends to disappear for prolonged stretches. Last season he finished with 35 points, which is the lowest of his career. DeBrusk's struggles were also magnified in the playoffs, where the Bruins offense struggled to find the back of the net.
Furthermore, after spending most of his career alongside David Krejci, DeBrusk was moved among the Bruins top 9- forwards at times last season. Regardless of his struggles, the former first round pick has averaged 20 goals a season so far in his career. Due to the Bruins need for offense, it is highly likely he returns.
A long-term deal for DeBrusk would most likely come with a cap hit of between $ 4-5 million a year. The Bruins could also give him a two or three-year deal as they did with Charlie McAvoy last summer. They currently have a little more than $6,000,000 in cap space, which is enough to sign DeBrusk
While news regarding DeBrusk has been fairly quiet, it would be surprising to see him in a different jersey next season. The young winger still has room to grow and the Bruins are hoping that happens in Boston for the foreseeable future.