As Jake DeBrusk continued to light the lamp early and often on Boston’s top line over the past week, it was only fair to pose the question.
No, the Bruins still don’t necessarily have to trade the disgruntled forward ahead of the March 21 deadline — despite his longstanding request for a fresh start elsewhere.
But with DeBrusk currently thriving in a top-six role and his stats spiking ahead of a potential new contract this summer, could the forward opt to rescind his trade request, play out the remainder of this season and continue to reap the rewards that come with steady reps next to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand?
Apparently not.
During TSN’s Insider Trading segment on Tuesday, Pierre LeBrun reported that DeBrusk’s trade request remains in place — with both the player and his representatives focused on starting anew in a different market.
“What I can tell you, in speaking with Jake DeBrusk’s agent, Rick Valette, on this day is there has not been a change of heart,” LeBrun said. “The trade demand remains in place for Jake DeBrusk to hopefully, in his case, get a trade out of Boston by the March 21 trade deadline.”
LeBrun also added that, perhaps in an effort to accelerate trade discussions, the Bruins have given Valette the green light to speak with interested teams about an extension for DeBrusk.
“Now the other thing that Rick Valette talked about is this: That he has informed teams -- and by the way, he has permission to talk directly to other teams -- that they’re willing to work on an extension to help facilitate a deal, because a lot of teams are concerned about that $4.4 million qualifying offer to retain his rights this summer,” LeBrun said. “Maybe an extension at a cheaper price, and everyone goes home happy. Bottom line is, if he keeps scoring, he’s playing a bigger role right now, might help the Boston Bruins and Don Sweeney get better offers than they’ve had to date.”
BSJ Analysis
While perhaps it’s a bit disappointing that DeBrusk still remains fixated on getting out of town, it’s far from a surprise. Even though Valette went public with DeBrusk’s trade request back in late November, DeBrusk’s wishes have been noted for quite some time, and it appears as though a clean break has always been the definitive sentiment from DeBrusk and his camp.
Still, we’ll note again that the Bruins don’t have to trade DeBrusk ahead of the deadline — not if Don Sweeney and the Bruins don’t get a return that’s to their liking when it comes to moving out a middle-six winger who, while inconsistent, can pot you 20+ goals a year.
That being said, LeBrun’s report that Valette is talking potential extensions with interested teams does open the door for Boston to potentially earn a stronger return in any swap.
Even with DeBrusk’s potential and even-strength scoring pop, teams likely don't want to give up significant assets for a winger that’s due for a $4.4 million qualifying offer this offseason. But let’s say DeBrusk was willing to lock into a long-term deal at a market-level annual payout if it means getting out of Boston? Then perhaps a team would be much more comfortable giving Boston a nice piece in return.
Add in continued strong play from the winger on Boston’s top line, and maybe Sweeney finally gets what he’s been coveting in a DeBrusk deal — be it valuable draft capital, a 1-for-1 swap for a fellow middle-six regular or proven star talent like a Tomas Hertl in a package deal.
There’s been plenty of twists and turns in what would appear to be a pretty cut-and-dry trade request between DeBrusk and the Bruins.
It’s still far from a sure thing that DeBrusk is donning a new sweater in the coming weeks, but it does appear as though Sweeney and the Bruins are doing what they can to maximize a potential return by allowing these extension talks to take place.