Jake DeBrusk still has plenty of uncertainty in his life. He is is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer and, as far as he knows, there hasn’t been much progress on a contract extension.
But last Friday’s trade deadline came and went and he remained a Bruin. And for the moment, that allowed him to breathe a little easier.
“It’s always a big one, to be honest,” said DeBrusk on Monday morning. “As the years have gone on, it’s really (tough) for everyone in the room. And it depends on certain situations – and how much you look on (X). And I’m still here. It’s definitely a sense of relief. You obviously don’t know until about 4:30 (on deadline day) and then you go from there. But I’m happy to be here and just excited to move forward in the playoff push here.”
Two years ago, there was a sense DeBrusk would be dealt at the deadline. He had already asked for a trade and was about to become a restricted free agent. But on deadline day, he signed a two-year extension worth $4 million annually and has remained with the club. He had a very good season in 2022-23, notching 27 goals, missing a month with a broken leg.
But the consistency in scoring has not been there this year and, whether or not it’s closely linked, neither has a contract extension.
“I’ve had uncertainty before in different ways,” said DeBrusk. “I think in the beginning of the year, I felt prepared if it went this way. But you never know unless you’re going through it. … You just have to go out and play.”
As he did with Linus Ullmark, the other Bruin most prominently mentioned in trade speculation, former captain Patrice Bergeron reached out to DeBrusk several times during the lead-up to the deadline.
“It’s nice to see him around the rink and talk to him a little bit. But, yeah, he has reached out and sent a couple messages. I miss that guy,” said DeBrusk. “But he’s obviously someone I leaned on when we were together and speaks volumes of his character.”
Another thing that’s undoubtedly helped ease DeBrusk’s mind is that he’s starting to pick up some points. He’s got two goals and four assists in his last four games.
He’s not overly concerned about not having an extension. He takes that fact he’s still here to mean there’s a belief on the team’s side that something can get done.
“It’s easy to get emotional or upset on these things,” said DeBrusk. “But I understand it’s a business and you’ve got to do what’s best for the team or you.”
ULLMARK MADE a point of saying how much Charlie McAvoy reaching out on deadline day meant to him.
“It just felt like it was something I wanted to do,” said McAvoy. “There was a lot of stuff going around and he’s a good friend, just like everybody in this locker room. You step away from the ice and all these guys matter more as people than they do as players. I just wanted to send him a text. I’m happy that meant a lot to him. And I’m really happy he’s still here.”
WITH THE exception of when Jeremy Swayman got four straight starts when Ullmark was hurt in January, the Bruins have pretty much stuck to a goalie rotation this season. But the brain trust is open to go with a hot hand in the playoffs, and we may get a taste of it before the regular season is over.
“At some point we might want to see someone play three games in a row. It’s kind of what we’ve discussed. We haven’t discussed since a couple of weeks ago. Let a guy go on a run and then let the other guy go on a run, just to simulate the damages physically of playing that,” said Coach Jim Montgomery.
THE BRUINS snagged one of the first rookie free agents as the college hockey season winds down, signing 6-foot-3, 202-pound Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro.
Bavaro will join the Providence Bruins on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of this season and will have a one-year entry-level contract with an NHL cap hit of $867,500. Bruins GM Don Sweeney announced the deal.
Bavaro had 10 goals and 10 assists in 35 games for Notre Dame in 2023-24 and had 16 goals and 23 assists in 72 games over two seasons for the Irish.
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