Ryan: Could Jake DeBrusk end up being the Bruins’ deadline upgrade on the wing?

Considering how the optics appeared for both Jake DeBrusk and the Bruins back in late November, the sight of him still planted on Boston's bench and draped in a black-and-gold sweater on the last day of February likely comes as a surprise to many.

Perhaps DeBrusk included.

When DeBrusk’s agent Rick Valette released his standing trade request into the public stratosphere, the initial shock of said desire for a clean slate gave way to the stark reality that both player and team have been mired in an untenable situation for quite some time.

As the weeks trudged along, there was little to dissuade from the notion that DeBrusk’s tenure in Boston had simply run its course. 

Aside from a few scoring spurts here and there, the winger’s production continued to sink below expectations. His often unabashed enthusiasm was sapped from his on-ice persona, and the jabber-ready DeBrusk offered radio silence when requested by the media. 

So, yes, few could have predicted that DeBrusk — three months after his trade request was alerted to the masses — would still be here in Boston at this juncture of the 2021-22 campaign, with three weeks to go until the March 21 trade deadline.

So just imagine what the shock will be when the deadline clock ticks to zero — and DeBrusk takes to the ice with Boston later that night on March 21 against the Habs.

Unlikely? Perhaps. But inconceivable? Certainly not. Not after the returns that the disgruntled winger has put forth over the last week-plus of action. 

Yes, we’ve talked about this countless times before when it comes to the trade saga involving DeBrusk, the lack of leverage that Boston wields now that his trade request has gone public and the proper avenues that need to be taken in order to benefit both the team and player.

It’s pretty cut and dry, at least at first glance. If DeBrusk is producing and elevating his stock ahead of the trade deadline, everyone can and should get what they want.

Don Sweeney and the Bruins will be able to lure a team into a deal with a red-hot DeBrusk upping his value, with DeBrusk subsequently granted his fresh start with another NHL club.  

Everyone wins, right? 

That sentiment is as strong as ever following Monday’s blowout win over the Kings — a game where DeBrusk potted his first career hat trick as part of a four-point masterclass in O-zone forechecking and finishing.

We’ve seen a streaky scorer in DeBrusk stack together some heaters throughout his time in Boston, but never to the degree that the 25-year-old forward is currently shredding defenses over this stretch. Over his last five games, DeBrusk has now buried seven goals and posted nine total points, with his 14 tallies on the year now good for fourth on the team behind the usual forward triumvirate of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

“It's one of those things where it's just the game of hockey and you need bounces — whether it's passes or goals or whatever to find it,” DeBrusk said postgame. “But an inch here, an inch there, it's not in the net or it's in the net. It kind of makes you giggle, but it's a very rewarding feeling because it's one of those things where I personally had to wait for probably around three years to feel this kind of trend.”

If there was ever a time for Sweeney and the Bruins to strike while the iron is hot,  it’s now, right? It certainly makes a lot of sense. 

But when it comes to determining DeBrusk’s fate in the coming weeks, all of it comes to down what a potential return might be for the up-and-down forward, and if it justifies moving an asset that — as of right now — is thriving on a top-line role for this club. 

Yes, the natural correlation is that DeBrusk’s scoring surge will give way to Boston getting equal value in exchange for said player, be it an NHL contributor (either 1-for-1 or as part of a package deal) or significant draft capital.

But it’s far from a forgone conclusion that a team caves on whatever asking price Sweeney has set for DeBrusk. Sure, the Bruins’ GM’s patience has allowed DeBrusk’s stock to soar, but Boston still doesn’t exactly hold all the cards when it comes to dangling DeBrusk as a premier trade chip.

For most teams, the need to pay a hefty price for DeBrusk might not be there — not with his $4.41 million qualifying offer hovering over whatever franchise wants to pluck him from Boston.

Given that potential payout (or the headaches that could await when it comes to hashing out a new contract for a player with an uneven track record of production), even a team that would love to add DeBrusk’s scoring pop might balk at Sweeney’s demands. 

Now, if a team is willing to cough up a legit top-six weapon for DeBrusk? Or a first-round pick? Then it’s a different story, entirely.

If San Jose wants him as a key piece in a Tomas Hertl swap that helps Boston avoid relinquishing a blue-chip prospect or a first-round pick? Then DeBrusk is likely heading west.

But if Sweeney is not getting close to what he’s asking for in a DeBrusk deal, the Bruins are not going to move him for the sake of moving him — not when he’s playing like this.

Beyond his knack for lighting the lamp early and often these days, DeBrusk’s overall game has revitalized Boston’s top-six unit and given Bruce Cassidy a straight-line skater and forechecking menace that can be relied on in various scenarios.

“When he's first on the forecheck, turning pucks over — which he's done very well with that group," Cassidy said of DeBrusk's value. "Playing with a centerman that puts pucks in good spots. ... So I think that's helping him. Obviously, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but we use Jake on the PK at times, because we trust that he's got good hockey IQ and a good stick as well, so it's all there for him. 

“Ability to finish, sees the ice, foot speed to beat guys. Like I said, when he's on pucks, forecheck, he's very dangerous. A 200-foot game if he can consistently be strong on pucks, on the walls, like that's an area that most wingers, all guys go through it — the young guys. That takes almost years — Pasta still has part of that for him. So I don't want to say what he'd end up (developing into), but that's a pretty valuable player there that can play in all situations.”

Since Marchand returned from his suspension and DeBrusk was slotted up to RW, the numbers put forth by this new-look top line have been comical, to say least. 

• 27:41 of 5v5 ice time together
• Boston has led opponents in shot attempts, 45-15
• Boston has led opponents in shots on goal, 29-6
• Boston has outscored opponents, 2-0
• Boston holds an 8-1 edge in high-danger scoring chances

A small sample size, sure. But that doesn’t seem like a guy you just move for pennies on the dollar.

Of course, there’s a lot that can change between now and March 21, and plenty of risks involved with how Boston can approach this. 

Sure, the Bruins could hold firm on a high asking price and roll with DeBrusk for the remainder of the season if no team bites — using other assets to upgrade at other areas of need. If DeBrusk can maintain this level of play, that top line could be a 5v5 buzzsaw come the postseason, while also allowing Cassidy to keep Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak together on the same line and lock in that Frederic-Coyle-Smith line further down the depth chart. 

It could also completely backfire. 

DeBrusk, his trade request unfulfilled, could once again drag his feet and Boston’s top-six grouping could be plagued by another hole on the wing in what might be Bergeron’s last Cup run.

Or, DeBrusk could make the most of what could be a pretty eventual playoff push with Boston — with guaranteed reps next to Marchand and Bergeron only continuing to raise his value ahead of a potential new contract this summer.

Perhaps a deep Cup run mends some of those fences. Or even if both sides part ways this summer if Boston doesn’t want to juggle the cap with that qualifying offer, maybe these short-term gains outweigh whatever lackluster offers Sweeney is currently getting out on the trade market.

Would I be surprised to see DeBrusk still here beyond March 21st? I’d say so. 

I’d imagine some team does eventually relent and gives Sweeney an offer that’s too good to pass up, or at least falls in line with the type of return that Boston is looking for in this swap.

But then again, I also thought DeBrusk was going to be in a different sweater going into the new year.

As I said before — a lot can change in a short amount of time. And what once seemed like a pretty black-and-white, uncompromising trade request sure feels a whole lot more complicated for Sweeney, DeBrusk and the Bruins.

Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick.