Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk is reportedly looking to extend his stay with the team as his current contract approaches its conclusion next year. NHL.com Staff Writer Derek Van Diest reports that the 26-year-old expressed his desire to continue playing for the team he has strong ties with during the Perry Pearn 3 vs. 3 Hockey Camp.
Noting, “It’s the only team that I know and the team that I grew up with,” DeBrusk added, “Hopefully it goes in that direction, and we’ll see how it goes.” Not sure exactly what his future holds, especially in the midst of what looks to be big changes with the Bruins’ roster, DeBrusk explained, “That’s why I have an agent (Rick Valette), and I told him I wanted to stay out of this one and in time, it’ll be nice when it all gets done.”
It wasn’t that long ago DeBrusk was looking for a trade out of Boston. Back in November 2021, the former first-round pick had been benched by then-coach Bruce Cassidy and the relationship between the player and the organization looked like it was souring. He even signed a two-year extension with the hopes that some kind of contract control would make him more attractive to other teams in a trade. Ultimately, he wasn’t moved and when things got back on the right track, he reversed his decision in 2022.
As he grew more comfortable with his spot on the team and his role on the ice, he started to up his production. The past season saw DeBrusk reward this support with a career-best performance. He notched 27 goals and 23 assists in 64 games, accompanied by an impressive +26 rating.
The Bruins Need DeBrusk, So It’s Good He Wants to Stay
Barring some kind of unexpected dip and reversion back to his 2020-21 lower production levels, there should be a secure spot for the forward on the Bruins’ roster. Key players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Dmitry Orlov, have all departed the team the Bruins are determined to stay competitive. Securing extensions for impending free agents, starting with DeBrusk, is integral to this strategy.
DeBrusk is confident in his ability. “If I stay healthy, I think I can score 30 this season. I’ve knocked on the door twice with 27 (also in 2018-19), and I have 25 in there as well (in 2021-22). I think if I stay healthy, that’s obviously the goal, to finally get to that 30 mark.”
It’s not clear what an extension would look like or when he’d prefer to sign it, but if he has a big season, there is speculation he could be in line for something similar to what Brandon Hagel recently signed for with the Tampa Bay Lightning — eight years at $52 million.
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