LW Jake DeBrusk
Speaking of DeBrusk, he is absolutely a player to watch this season. He had been the subject of trade rumors all off-season, but a deal has yet to be finalized. With it now being September, there’s a good chance he will be staying in Boston for now. It will be intriguing to see if he will be able to find his old form and be a key contributor again.
In 41 games this season, DeBrusk had only five goals and 14 points. It was a significant decline in production, as he was solid his first three seasons in the league. He is most known for his 27-goal campaign in 68 games during the 2018-19 season. It seemed that he was solidifying himself as a legitimate top-six forward in this league. His production dropped slightly the following year, but was still good. In 65 games, he scored 19 goals and had 35 points.
DeBrusk is still just 24 years old, so it is hard to believe that this regression will be permanent. If he can find his previous success, he not only would be provide stronger scoring depth, but also would likely erase all trade rumors. This is a make or break season for him in Boston. If he continues to struggle, it would not be surprising to see him moved as early as before this year’s trade deadline.
Ultimately, this should be a very fun season for the Bruins. Here’s to hoping the changes they have made and these five players can lead them to a Stanley Cup. The B’s are long overdue.