Boston Bruins: Grading the Jake DeBrusk extension from all angles
Jake DeBrusk is betting on himself after re-signing with the Boston Bruins.
It was announced on Monday that Jake DeBrusk had signed a new two-year, $7,350,000 contract with the Boston Bruins, which carries an AAV of $3,675,000.
DeBrusk is now off the Restricted Free Agency market and the forward will remain with the Bruins through at least the 2021-22 season.
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It gives the winger two years to tap into his potential and establish himself as a legit top-six productive forward in the National Hockey League, while the Boston Bruins have locked up a player that can still unlock another level or two.
We gave our initial thoughts on what this extension meant yesterday, which you can read here, but now we are going to dissect the contract from both sides and then attempt to give it a final grade.
Let’s delve right in…
More To Come?
Jake DeBrusk has been a big offensive producer for the Boston Bruins since being drafted No. 14 overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, recording at least 30 points in each of his first three seasons in the league.
He’s developed into a really nice player and a staple on the Bruins’ second line, but his game has featured one fatal flaw so far.
An alarming lack of consistency.
And not just a lack of consistency when it comes to offensive output, although he did start the 2019-20 regular season without a point in his first four games and then later went 10 straight contests without a goal or an assist, but his overall game too.
Too often DeBrusk has been guilty of disappearing from games and becoming too much of a non-factor for his team, which can’t happen when you play on the second-line and are relied upon to provide secondary scoring.
After all, we all know that the difference between the truly elite players in the NHL and the average ones is consistency and the ability to be great on a nightly basis.
So, if DeBrusk is to morph into a very, very good top-six winger in the National Hockey League, then he will need to hone his craft further and work on being able to bring it every single night.
The good news is that the left shot is just 24-years-old so he has plenty of time to develop and improve, while his prime and peak are a few years away so there’s plenty of untapped potential there to unlock.
Also, a full season of Ondrej Kase and the addition of Craig Smith to the bottom-six forward unit should help ease the pressure and the workload on DeBrusk and the second-line, which should only translate to more production from the winger.
Plus, DeBrusk has shown enough in three years with the Bruins that he’s capable of being the go-to-guy and, if he can add that secret sauce that is consistency to his game, then he could evolve into a real beast and offensive juggernaut on that second-line.
I mean, since bursting onto the NHL scene in 2017-18, DeBrusk ranks fourth on the Bruins in goals (62), fourth in power play goals (17), tied for third in game-winning goals (14), sixth in points (120) and eighth in assists (58).
DeBrusk has proven himself as an effective net-front presence, especially on the power play, and if he can add more of a killer instinct to his game, then he will go from an above-average winger to a very, very good one.
Again, consistency is the big bugaboo here after DeBrusk’s play somewhat regressed in 2019-20, going from 42 points in 2018-19 to 35 points (19 G, 16 A) in 65 regular season games, while he had just four points (4 G) and a plus / minus rating of -3 in 13 postseason games this past year.
He has other kinks to iron out, too, including developing the ability to have a two-way impact on the game and playing more of a bigger role for the Boston Bruins.
But there is no doubt that this contract is a bet-on-yourself type deal for Jake DeBrusk, who could put himself in line for a huge payday and a much bigger role if he can unlock that next level or two over the next two years.
Grading The Contract
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney told nhl.com/bruins that the franchise wanted a longer deal for DeBrusk, but the two-year contract works for both parties right now.
We mapped out why for DeBrusk above and a lot of those points also apply to the Bruins, who will want to see more from their winger before committing to a big payday in two years time.
While the production has been there, the 24-year-old has suffered from a lack of consistency and he endured a slight dip in his game in 2019-20, posting the lowest points total of his career so far despite averaging 16:03 of ATOI.
The fact that DeBrusk did record a CF% of 51.7% and an oZS% of 59.1% during the regular season is an encouraging factor, but he was guilty of being a non-factor and that was especially evident in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where his ice time went up to an average of 17:04 but he only scored four goals and failed to record a single assist in 13 games.
Also, at 6-foot-0 and 188 pounds, you can make an argument that the left winger could have more of a physical impact on the game, where he needs to be more impactful on the forecheck while learning to play a real dominant two-way game in order to change the momentum of a contest.
Boasting blistering speed, there is no reason why DeBrusk shouldn’t be a potent weapon on the penalty kill for the Bruins too, who had just five shorthanded goals in 2019-20 during the regular season.
Basically, we’ve seen flashes of brilliance and glimpses of DeBrusk’s ability that he can take over a game and simply dominate it, but he needs to wrap all of that up in one neat little package.
If he can do that, in addition to adding a killer instinct to his game when it comes to finishing chances, then there is no doubt that the Bruins could have something special on their hands for the long-term.
With his speed, ability to score and create and drive play in all three zones, DeBrusk has another level or two to reach and if he can unlock all of his potential then he could be a long-term option for that top-line.
Simply put, this deal is just a precursor to what could follow but it is up to Jake DeBrusk to put the work in and prove that he’s capable of developing into a high-end second-line winger.
For now, the Boston Bruins haven’t overpaid by paying the forward $7,350,000 over the next two years, which leaves them with just under $3 million in cap space according to CapFriendly.
That gives them the opportunity to still add some depth to their roster for the 2020-21 season, but they are clearly betting on Jake DeBrusk to seize the initiative and take the necessary steps to become the player they think he can be if he puts it all together, and that is smart management from the front office.
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If the next two years go as hoped for both sides then the Boston Bruins will look at this bridge deal as a bargain, while Jake DeBrusk will be deserving of another payday and potentially a much bigger role in the organization.