For Jake DeBrusk, his future as a member of the Boston Bruins does not look promising.
It was bad enough that he was recently deemed a healthy scratch by B’s head coach Bruce Cassidy, but the writing was already on the wall before that took place.
DeBrusk has missed some time this season with a lower-body injury he sustained back on January 26th, but the more crippling blow to his game was a 17-day stint in the National Hockey League’s COVID protocol.
The guy just could not catch a break.
Selected 14th overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the 24-year-old has shown elite offensive capabilities—in spurts—during his four-year career. The pinnacle came in 2018 when he recorded 27 goals and 42 points in 68 regular-season games. Prior to the start of this season, DeBrusk has potted 62 goals and 58 assists, while adding another 14 goals and 23 points in 49 postseason games.
However, he was part of the now-infamous 2015 draft class where the Bruins had the 13th (Jakub Zboril), 14th (DeBrusk), and 15th (Zach Senyshyn) overall picks. Sounds great, right? Well, considering some of the other players that were still on the board at that point in the first round, those selections should be unforgivable.
You cannot say that the three above-mentioned players are complete busts, especially in the case of DeBrusk. In fact, you have to sympathize with him in the sense that he was always just one step shy of crossing that truly elite threshold.
We can only be so patient. Coaches, management, media, etc. Enough is enough.
The Edmonton, Alberta native has two assists in his last three games but has been held without a goal in nine-straight contests. Once Taylor Hall came to Boston via trade, DeBrusk was thrown on the third line as a right winger. The eye test alone shows that he does not look too comfortable on the off wing.
It did not need to come to that move, though. If he were able to perform up to the level that we had grown used to seeing, he would not have been moved to the right side. Even Nick Ritchie has surpassed the offensive output DeBrusk has put forward.
Getting to the dirty areas in front of the net and winning battles along the boards were DeBrusk’s bread and butter. Now, the puck struggles to find himself on the ice. DeBrusk currently sits on four goals and seven assists so far this season.
DeBrusk has been on a relatively long leash for the Bruins up until this point, and it appears that it has grown shorter with the recent benching. There is no oomph in his game anymore. It is time to consider if his time in Boston has reached its course.
So, what happens next? Is DeBrusk really done with the Bruins? Technically, no.
DeBrusk still has another year left on his contract after this current season. His name had been swirling around the trade rumor mill leading up to this year’s deadline. It is irrelevant if those rumors are true because if his name had been coming up so much, that indicates he was no longer seen favorably in certain circles.
He is a good player who may just need a fresh start. Unless he really turns it on and excels in the playoffs, DeBrusk may be wearing a different colored sweater next season.
