Jake DeBrusk is no stranger to trade rumors. His name has popped up in plenty of them in the past. So with trade talk starting to heat up a little more than a month out from the April 12 deadline, it's no surprise that DeBrusk's name is surfacing again.
But this feels a little different for one major reason: DeBrusk's value is no longer a given.
When rumors have swirled around DeBrusk in the past, it's been assumed that he would only be traded as the centerpiece -- or at least one of the key pieces -- in a blockbuster that lands the Bruins a clear upgrade, either up front or on defense.
He was a first-round pick. He scored 27 goals as a 22-year-old in 2018-19. Even in a down season last year, he was on his way to finishing in the 20-25 goal range before the season was paused by COVID-19. Of course he would be a valuable chip in any trade.
But now DeBrusk, who is in the first year of a modest two-year bridge deal, has one goal in 15 games this season. While there's been some bad luck there -- his 3.1% shooting percentage is way below his career 12.8% mark -- DeBrusk has also not done nearly enough to make himself dangerous in the offensive zone.
Too often he hasn't been noticeable on the forecheck. There hasn't been enough of him using his speed to take on defenders. He hasn't gotten to the front of the net. He's not doing enough to make an impact in other areas of the game either.
The analytics don't offer much hope for optimism either -- DeBrusk is dead last on the Bruins with minus-1.9 goals above replacement, according to Evolving-Hockey.
Coach Bruce Cassidy spoke bluntly when asked about DeBrusk earlier this week, saying, "I don't see Jake enough in the video after," referring to his video review of games.
"Jake has more to give," Cassidy added. "I think he's had pockets of real good hockey and other inconsistent moments where he's not playing to his strengths to affect the game. By that, I mean turning some pucks over on the forecheck. Attack and get inside ice when you have an opportunity when there's maybe a vulnerable D one-on-one. Second effort around the net, some rebound opportunities."
It's easy to pile on and say yes, of course the Bruins should be willing to trade DeBrusk now. But it's not quite that simple. His value is the lowest it's ever been, and you have to wonder how other teams view him and what Don Sweeney would even get in return.
When Fluto Shinzawa wrote about the "Jake DeBrusk trade dilemma" in The Athletic this week, this line stood out: "The Bruins would have to pursue a hockey trade for a like-minded forward or left-shot defenseman — young, high ceiling, underperforming for whatever reason."
Yikes. That's very different than using DeBrusk as a key part of a package to land a top-six upgrade like Filip Forsberg or a top-four defenseman like Mattias Ekholm.
That's trading your struggling young player for someone else's struggling young player -- a classic "hope a change of scenery helps all involved" deal.
If that's where things are right now, then the Bruins would be better off just holding onto DeBrusk and hoping he figures things out enough to be a real asset for you -- either on the ice or in a trade. That potential is still there somewhere. We've seen it before.
If the Predators value him enough to take him as a key piece in a trade for Forsberg or Ekholm, excellent. If the Sabres will take him as a centerpiece for half a season of Taylor Hall or the Devils for half a season of Kyle Palmieri, that's great too. Go for it.
But if Sweeney and Co. are not clearly improving the team and are instead just flipping DeBrusk for another struggling player who may or may not help the Bruins win, then they're better off just riding it out and not selling low.
