It's a story that the Columbus Blue Jacket faithful know all too well.
A young, talented player requests a trade, citing that a change in scenery could get his career back on track.
This time, though, that player does not wear a Columbus sweater.
At least not yet.
In his fifth full season as a member of the Boston Bruins, it appears that winger Jake DeBrusk's time playing in the black and yellow may be about up.
First, a little back story: No matter how you slice it, the two best seasons of DeBrusk's career were his first two. In his rookie season during 2017-18, a 21-year-old DeBrusk finished just outside the top ten in the league's Calder Trophy voting for the rookie of the year and finished with 16 goals and 27 assists in 70 games. His sophomore season saw an increase in goals — 27 in just 68 games — but he finished with 42 points, one shy of his rookie total.
With expectations higher in the 2019-20 season, DeBrusk tallied a stat line of 19-16-35 in 65 games, missing the mark on what the Bruins organization — and their fans — were hoping for. It was even worse in the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season, when he scored five goals and had 14 points in 41 games. (For comparison's sake, Eric Robinson had six goals and 17 points in 42 games this season with Columbus before he went to the injured reserve list in early February.)
DeBrusk also started slow this season, with just two points — both goals — through the first eleven games of the season. That's about when the 25 year old let Boston management know that he would prefer to be traded, citing the desire for a fresh start.
Spoke with Rick Valette today, agent for Jake DeBrusk, he confirmed he asked for a trade over the weekend. It's felt a change of scenery moving forward would be beneficial. Debrusk will remain with the team while the Bruins try and facilitate the request.
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) November 29, 2021
Through 31 games, DeBrusk had just 10 points — the same number of points he's put up in the last nine games during his recent hot streak, and he now stands at 15-10-25 in 52 games this season. Despite that streak, he's still indicated as recently as last week that a trade is still the preferred option.
That's where Columbus could come into play — and here's both the why and the how:
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DEBRUSK IS A GOOD PLAYER: Exactly as it says. There have been issues with consistency, as pointed out above, but DeBrusk is a solid middle-six player on a good NHL roster. He can play either wing, but is a natural from the left side of the ice. Many of the Blue Jackets most talented prospects play elsewhere: Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger are centers and Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko seem more comfortable on the right side. DeBrusk could fit in on the left side on the second or third line.
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HE MAY WANT TO BE HERE: DeBrusk has, in so many words, stated that he wants to be somewhere where he's happy and appreciated. While it's no secret that a certain breed of players (Seth Jones, Artemi Panarin, etc.) would rather play in a top-five market (which is fine; to each their own), DeBrusk may not be that type of player. An Edmonton, Alberta native, he's given no indication that the city matters as much as the organization. The Blue Jackets are certainly a franchise heading in the right direction.
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COLUMBUS CAN AFFORD IT: As our Dan Dukart pointed out earlier in the week, Columbus has cap space. In the Covid era, cap limits have handcuffed a number of teams and their flexibility with acquiring players. But the Blue Jackets, as Dukart points out, are projected to have the 5th most cap space this summer. DeBrusk brings a 4.8 million cap hit this season as he heads into restricted free agency. That's enough to eliminate most teams as they simply don't have the money to do it, and while that $4.8 figure is high for the kind of player DeBrusk has been, it's on par with the type of player he has shown he can be. He's so eager to be moved that DeBrusk has said he's willing to talk extension with a potential new team prior to a trade — and that could mean a lower AAV (average annual value) for his new team. "A lot of teams are concerned about the $4.4 million qualifying offer to retain his rights this summer," reported TSN's Pierre LeBrun. "Maybe (with) an extension at a cheaper price everyone will go home happy."
- BOSTON HAS INTEREST IN AT LEAST ONE BLUE JACKET: If the rumors are true, the Bruins have expressed interest in Max Domi for at least several weeks now. Domi for DeBrusk is not a one-for-one trade, but if the Bruins are going to move him, getting Domi in return would give them a comparable middle-six NHL'er to offset the loss. Boston would (rightfully) want a little more in return. On Columbus' end, Jack Roslovic being part of the trade would be ideal, but Boston might want a little more in the "futures" department in return — someone like Liam Foudy could make sense as the Bruins attempt to get a little younger.
Would DeBrusk in Columbus be of interest to you?
