Who could the Bruins acquire for Jake DeBrusk? 8 Realistic Targets

Who can the Bruins acquire for Jake DeBrusk? Let’s take a look….

It is no secret that Jake DeBrusk wants out of Boston. The former 14th overall pick for the Bruins in their dreadful 2015 draft, the 25 year old Debrusk has seen his career completely stall out since his promising 16 goal rookie campaign was followed up by a 29 goal sophomore season. While it appears Debrusk and Head Coach Bruce Cassidy clearly do not see eye to eye, DeBrusk has also done little on the ice to warrant any larger role with the team. In his past 72 games, Jake has produced 10-14-24. Not nearly good enough for a player of his pedigree and $3.675 million cap hit. He was demoted to the third line last season, and has found himself in the press box on numerous occasions. While I assume there was a trade request long before this, in November it leaked publicly that he would be looking for a fresh start and officially requested a trade from the Bruins. Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been patient, content with having DeBrusk be a part of the team while he is looking for the right piece in return. With the trade deadline getting closer by the day, who are some names the Bruins could reasonably expect to acquire for a depressed asset like Debrusk? Let’s take a look…..

(these are not in order of personal preference)

· Jordan Greenway, LW (Minnesota), Lawson Crouse, LW (Arizona) or Max Domi C/LW (Columbus)

o As noted in my trade deadline targets piece, Greenway, Crouse and Domi fit the mold of what I would expect a return for Debrusk to look like. Crouse is having a “career year”, but definitely offers the lowest ceiling of the three. Greenway and Domi are more in the Debrusk category of “Fresh Start Candidates”, who could benefit from change of scenery. Of these three, I prefer Greenway.

· Dylan Strome, C- Chicago Blackhawks

o Whatever happened to Dylan Strome? The former 3rd overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes seemed to take a step forward once he was traded to Chicago, notching 89 points over his first 116 games with the Blackhawks. Since then, he has somewhat disappeared. He finds himself out of the lineup a lot, and seems to have fallen out of favor within the organization. With the Bruins relative lack of depth at the center position, a Debrusk for Strome swap might make some sense for both sides.

· Kailer Yamamoto, RW- Edmonton Oilers

o This one has been floated around through the hockey media as a potential deal, as Debrusk is an Edmonton native. A 2017 first round pick of the Oilers, the American born Yamamoto has somewhat disappointed. In 140 career games, Yamamoto has produced a paltry 26-37-65, all while shooting 15%. His diminutive stature (5’8, 155lbs.) and relatively low play driving/shot totals are probably not checking any boxes for the Bruins. They can do better than this.

· Rickard Rakell, LW- Anaheim Ducks or Max Jones, LW-Anaheim Ducks

o I think Rakell is the name to watch here. A similarly priced LW to Debrusk (3.8 mil), Rakell is currently struggling (by his standards) with 8-8-16 in 32 games for the surprising Ducks. This comes off of last years 9-19-28 in 52 games, which is okay but probably not what the Ducks envisioned after he scored 30 goals in back to back seasons in 16-17/17-18. With the emergence of Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, and Sonny Milano (all who will need contracts in the coming years), would the Ducks look to move 2022 UFA Rakell for a younger asset? He has been linked to the Bruins before. It would not surprise me at all.

o If Rakell is off the table, Max Jones is someone I could see the Bruins taking a flyer on. The 23-year-old American was the Ducks first round pick in 2016, but has failed to carve out a role in Anaheim. The 6’3 215 pound Jones plays a physical brand of hockey with a noticeable edge, and his nastiness could benefit the Bruins up front. On the flip side, he has not proven he can be an NHL player night in and night out, with only 17-11-28 in 137 NHL games. While I think he eventually finds a place, he would probably not be enough on his own to warrant a trade for Debrusk. This would be more of a move for next year, as Jones is currently recovering from surgery to repair a torn pec.

· Kevin Labanc, RW- San Jose Sharks

o After a 17-39-56 performance in 82 games during the 2018-2019 season, Labanc has seen his production fall off a cliff the last few years. Currently out until March following surgery on his dislocated shoulder, Labanc has only produced 3-3-6 in his 21 games this season. While he is not the greatest skater, he has shown the ability to score before and has a cannon of a shot. I am not sure the Bruins would want to take on the two years remaining on his contract at 4.725 million, but if the Sharks were willing to eat a little bit of that contract there could be a fit.