Back in December, I speculated that Jake DeBrusk could be exactly the type of player that the Boston Bruins need in their search to get some more scoring depth in their middle-six wingers. The team knows exactly what they are getting in the forward, and he still has plenty of friends remaining on the team, so that it wouldn't upset club chemistry. The coaching staff with whom he didn't see eye to eye in the past is also gone from the team.
Nevertheless, there are still some risks with the acquisition. His inconsistencies were one of the biggest problems in Boston, and that hasn't changed since he joined the Vancouver Canucks. It was also worth asking if the sour taste he left in the front office's mouths when he left would give them any pause to re-acquire.
It felt like more of a pipedream when we speculated it in December, but surprisingly, there are now real rumors of a potential return, according to a report from The Fourth Period.
"The Boston Bruins, Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings are among the teams believed to have some interest in DeBrusk, who has jumped onto TFP’s latest Trade Watch List," TFP reported.
All three teams would make sense for DeBrusk. The Kraken are desperate for some more scoring talent on their roster, and it'd likely be of interest to him to stay out West. If the Red Wings find a way to get him, that could also be detrimental to Boston's playoff hopes. As a valuable playoff performer, it'd also be scary to have to face a motivated DeBrusk in an Atlantic Division playoff series.
Bruins' roadblock to a Jake DeBrusk trade
The only roadblock could be that DeBrusk has a full no movement clause until the end of the 2026-27 season. He would have to approve any movement on his end, and the forward might not be too thrilled about returning to Boston. The break-up wasn't the cleanest, and he'd have to be a bit wary of how he'd be received.
Is it worth reacquiring DeBrusk? On one hand, the Bruins know what they are getting. But on the other hand, the Bruins know what they are getting. The offensive skills that made fans love DeBrusk are still there, but the inconsistencies that drove them crazy are there as well.