Jake DeBrusk finished out the final year of his contract without an extension in place. For a 27-year-old former first round draft pick, that in and of itself is a little unsettling.
When the winger met with reporters on team break-up day at Warrior Ice Arena, the Bruins’ wing tried his best to remain positive that something could get done for him to stay with the only professional organization of which he’s been a part. But DeBrusk, who could have his first kick at unrestricted free agency on July 1, is a bit surprised it has gone this long and he still doesn’t have a contract.
“Yeah, but I understand. Business is business,” said DeBrusk. “I’ve been here for a while and I’ve seen lots of deals get done with guys. I kind of understand what their side is and how they usually operate. I wasn’t necessarily completely surprised, but I thought it would be done and things would all work out earlier. But in saying that, this year was really stressful on me and it took a lot. I’m just looking forward to getting away, to be honest.”
He admitted that he realized that Sunday might have been his last day in the Bruins’ practice facility.
“Obviously, that’s something that creeps in your mind. It sucks. It’s not a good feeling to think about,” said DeBrusk. “It’s one of those things I hate, to be honest. It sucks. But in saying that, I still have hope that it will all work out. That’s what I want to do obviously. But if this is the last time in the building, I’ll probably decompress that more I guess when that’s finalized. But it’s hard when you don’t have a deal up to this point.”
It was not the kind of contract year DeBrusk would have wanted. While starting off the season playing a lot with rookie center Matt Poitras, he got off to a slow slart. Then, just before the bye week, he broke his hand, an injury he dealt with for almost the entire second half of the season.
But he still managed 19-21-40 totals in the regular season and he was the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs with 5–6-11 totals.. He has two 27-goal seasons under his belt. He’s added a defensive component and penalty-killing aspect to his game in the last couple of years. DeBrusk has also proven to be adept on either wing.
It’s clear that Bruins’ management values him. GM Don Sweeney did not let DeBrusk shoot his way out of town when, after he butted heads with former coach Bruce Cassidy, he had requested a trade two seasons ago.
How much they value him is the question. One comparable is Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett, who signed an eight-year deal worth $6.2 million annually during this season. Two years younger than DeBrusk, he has averaged .525 points per game over 270 games. He does not kill penalties. He’s played only six post-season games. DeBrusk, meanwhile, has averaged .572 over 465 games and .546 points per game in 86 playoff games.
If the Bruins don’t give DeBrusk a bump of $2 million-plus from his current $4 million salary, someone will.
He remains hopeful that he and the B’s can consummate a deal.
“Yeah I see a path here. I think I’ve said it all year. I still have hope,” said DeBrusk. “If you told me I’d be here at the end of the year without a contract, I wouldn’t believe it. But at the same time, I’ve always loved my time here. There’s just a lot of great memories even from my rookie season and now the seventh year in the playoffs. Lots of good memories and lots of things that hit you on the emotional side when you’re thinking about, I guess, the other side. But I haven’t talked to management.. I’m not exactly sure. It still feels fresh that we lost. I hope it works out.”…
Pat Maroon arrived at the trade deadline and wasn’t able to play until the final week of the season after recovering from back surgery. But in a short time he became a prominent voice in the dressing room. The 36-year-old Maroon wants to continue playing and he wants it to be here. While he said he felt good when he returned from back surgery, it was difficult to jump back into the action at the end of the season. He feels he can show a better version of himself next season if given the chance.
He’s now played for seven teams and won Stanley Cups in Tampa and St. Louis, but his short time in Boston has been special.
“I walked into the locker room not knowing anything and they made me feel at home. I truly believe it’s a good group of guys here and they care. It’ a really close group,” said Maroon, who lauded the training staff for getting him back on the ice. “It was so easy for me to come in here and transition to be myself and be me. The leadership group in here is amazing and to be a part of this group was really special. We really do have a close-knit group here. I was so fortunate to be a part of that. We came up short.. It’s unfortunate. You’ve got to give Florida ton of credit for bringing their game every single night. You can put finger but, for me, I had the best experience of my life, my career to be a part of this group and be a part of these guys who really, truly care. I can’t thank them enough for welcoming me and my wife and daughter and son to be a part of it. When you go through a bunch of teams, I felt like this team was it. I really did. Just how everyone is and how they act and how they treat everyone. And you can tell the leadership group is a trickle down effect. It goes a long way.”…
Danton Heinen arrived at training camp on a tryout contract and wasn’t signed until couple of weeks into the season. As a wing who could play all over the lineup, he made himself into a valuable Swiss Army knife player. He, too, would be interested in coming back.
“Everyone has different priorities and for me it’s not all about the money, it’s about the fit and if you’re happy and you’re where you want to be, those are the kind of things I look at,” said Heinen. “I love it here. It’s a great organization to be a part of. It’s a competitive team always and that’s what you want.”…
Matt Grzelcyk revealed he suffered a torn oblique earlier in the season. While the UFA-to–be said he’d love to return as it’s the only team he’s known, he said the team has not spoken to him about an extension.
