Will The Flames And Oilers Target Jake DeBrusk?
Will the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers pursue Alberta native and Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk if he hits NHL free agency next July?
In a recent interview with Boston Hockey Now, Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk expressed his desire to negotiate a contract extension with the team.
“Yeah, of course,” Debrusk said before the inquiry was done. “That’s what I’ve been saying since – I believe the first time I was asked was in the summer – but yes. This is all I know, and I grew up here, so I’ve clearly evolved and matured in various ways. I want to win here. We were one game away in 2019, and I want to win the Cup here in Boston. So that is my entire concentration.”
By all accounts, it appears the DeBrusk camp is ready to make a deal, but besides head coach Jim Montgomery heaping plenty of praise on DeBrusk lately, as is usually the case regarding contract discussions on any player, the Boston Bruins have been quiet on their 27-year-old winger that can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Meanwhile, DeBrusk’s value continues to climb. He currently has 12 goals and 13 assists in 47 games, and his three-game goal streak was stopped in the Bruins’ 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. He has continued to demonstrate on and off the ice that he wants to be a Bruin. He has seven goals and seven assists in his previous 16 games and has emerged as a versatile weapon for Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, who recently stated that his recent performance is the ‘greatest version’ of DeBrusk he has seen since taking over as head coach of the Bruins prior to last season.
Pierre McGuire, a longtime NHL analyst, head coach, and executive, provided this appraisal of the DeBrusk contract situation on a recent episode of ‘The Eye Test’ broadcast by this puck reporter and my co-host.
“If I were the agent, I’d be using [Ottawa Senators forward] Drake Batherson (six years, $29.8 million, $4.9M AAV) as one comparable, and I’d be using [Philadelphia Flyers forward] Travis Konecny (six years, $33 million, $5.5M AAV), as another comparable,” McGuire said in an interview. “And, know that those deals were signed a couple of years ago, so there’s going to be inflation in favor of DeBrusk.”
McGuire then issued a word of caution, describing what could happen if DeBrusk goes to market next July.
“But here’s what I do know: If the Bruins don’t sign him – and, I don’t know if they will or won’t, I’m sure they value him – I guarantee him an Alberta team will offer him a major contract,” McGuire said in an interview. “I tell you that, whether it’s Edmonton or Calgary, he’ll be taken care of in Alberta. That is, if Boston does not sign him, which is not a scare tactic, but rather a reality. I mean, there’s a demand for that kind of player.”
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