Now that their season is over, the Boston Bruins’ offseason work is just beginning. General Manager Don Sweeney has cash to spend this summer – with $22 million at his disposal. He has key decisions to make, primarily with restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman. However, other key players could return.
Forward Jake DeBrusk is an unrestricted free agent. He and the Bruins have not struck a deal, but he is hopeful to return to the club. DeBrusk also made it known that he prioritizes winning and wants to be on a team with Stanley Cup hopes, and the Bruins should be able to contend for a championship. The question remains, does bringing him back make sense, and will he want to come back?
Expectations for DeBrusk
The beautiful thing is that Sweeney has a surplus of cash to spend this summer. Entering the 2023-24 season, the team lost key goalscorers such as Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi. With limited flexibility to spend, DeBrusk was expected to be the one to step up and be that extra layer of scoring behind star winger David Pastrnak. However, that was not the case.
Life without Patrice Bergeron has not been easy, and we saw a different side of DeBrusk this season. Some of it was poor bounces and poor puck luck, but he didn’t light the lamp nearly as often. He has established himself as a steady two-way middle-six winger, and expectations should remain on who he is rather than what he should be. With money to spend, adding a perennial goalscorer is a must.
DeBrusk Emerging as a Great Two-Way Threat
It is no secret that the Bruins could use a boost in scoring depth. They were middle of the pack in goals scored and only had one player surpass the 30-goal mark (Pastrnak). Also, this was something evident last season, where nobody other than Pastrnak scored 30 goals. However, there are options via free agency to help fill that void. When it comes to DeBrusk, he is capable of scoring goals, but he is not a bonafide sniper like Pastrnak. Instead, the reality of his game lies with his solid two-way play. It’s important to set aside expectations for reality and take the player for who he is and embrace what he can do on both sides of the puck.
Offensive Impact
However, if all we look at is points, many will argue, “He didn’t do a thing out there.” However, his relentless effort and tenacity were noticeable, and he made an impact.
During the 2023-24 season, DeBrusk finished with 19 goals and 40 points, a significant drop from last season. Per Ty Anderson, it’s been reported that he had a broken hand, which he suffered during the bye week and didn’t heal until the playoffs. He is a strong forechecker and his play along the walls is good. He is relentless when it comes to puck pursuit and he thrives in the high danger areas of the ice.
DeBrusk was good at making things happen offensively. At five-on-five, he had the second-best expected goals for percentage (53.93%) on the Bruins and factored into the fourth-most expected goals for. Also, he finished with a positive goal differential.
Individually, DeBrusk was a machine at generating offense, finishing the season with 16.58 expected goals at five-on-five. He scored slightly less than expected, but it was not for a lack of effort. Sometimes, that is the way things go, but he was still a key player at generating offense, while his defensive game also improved.
Defensive Impact
Playing with Bergeron had its perks, and it’s safe to say that DeBrusk’s improved defensive play had a lot to do with learning from Bergeron.
DeBrusk did a good job of suppressing the opposition, finishing 12th among Bruins skaters in expected goals against. He brought that physical edge, finishing with 107 hits, and was willing to sacrifice the body with 48 blocked shots. He also finished the season with 36 takeaways.
He was deployed on the penalty kill, logging 120 minutes of ice time when down a man, and scored a shorthanded goal. Having a player like DeBrusk is great for the team’s depth, and he has been a good Bruin in his career.
DeBrusk Has Been Good
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DeBrusk is a special player who is stellar on both sides of the puck. Since his rookie season, he has embodied what it means to be a Bruin. He has worn the Spoked B with pride and given fans memories that will last forever, including his game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 Playoffs and his winning goal in the 2023 Winter Classic.
DeBrusk has reached the 20-goal mark once, with a career-best 27 goals. Also, he eclipsed the 40-point mark three times (including in his rookie season) and set a career-high of 50 points during the 2022-23 season. In postseason play, he has 27 goals and 47 points in 86 games, being a near 0.5-point-per-game player. Overall, he’s been good for the Bruins, and his 200-foot game is worthy of a new contract.
