Boston Bruins: Bad News If Jake DeBrusk Maintains This Form
Jake DeBrusk is showing some great form as the Boston Bruins’ first round series continues, unfortunately this is bad news for the team.
The reason this is bad news for the Boston Bruins is the simple fact that Jake DeBrusk is a restricted free agent when this season’s free agency actually hits.
His agent, earlier in the summer, spoke about hoping to score his client a $6 million per season deal, which most Boston Bruins fans derided as an agent trying to push up the price.
The way he’s playing now though, Jake DeBrusk could soon push himself closer to that number. In Game 4 against the Hurricanes, he was an absolute force grabbing two goals and rightfully found himself named the game’s first star.
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Perhaps the key difference for DeBrusk is the second line has now found it’s stride. The combination play of David Krejci, Ondrej Kase and DeBrusk looks like a well-oiled machine and with the absence of David Pastrnak, that line’s improved form has been key.
You can certainly wonder what Don Sweeney is thinking represents good value for DeBrusk right now, what with the potential contract renewal of Torey Krug very much forefront of the Boston Bruins’ free agency thinking.
Realistically, it’s going to prove a little challenging to ink Jake DeBrusk for a decent term, as well as renewing Krug. The question is whether he’d be willing to sign onto a shorter-term deal and push the hard discussions further down the line.
Countless young players around the league have opted to sign shorter-term bridge deals, hedging their bets on upping their cost.
DeBrusk could reasonably make such a call, especially having seen the impact positive second-line checmistry could have on his personal point production numbers.
Even signing a one-year ‘prove yourself’ type bridge deal would likely be beneficial. David Krejci expires next summer meaning significantly more money will likely be available to the Boston Bruins then.
Hedging his bets on maintaining his current form would be a bold decision, but right now it certainly looks like the real deal. He’s finally found the right running buddies and it’s showing in his confidence.
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One year at $4.5 million would represent great value for the Boston Bruins; whether Jake DeBrusk would be open to it is the biggest question though. If Pastrnak remains out injured and his second line continues producing, maybe that’s on the cheap side.