Jake DeBrusk asks for trade to leave Boston Bruins
Playing in a major US sports city like
Boston can be, for the most part, an amazing experience. The passionate fans of
the likes of the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots are a major part
of what makes Boston such a famous city. Whether the team is bleeding green or
playing in black and gold as the Boston Bruins do, though, there is always a
demand: play hard, and commit to winning.
For some athletes, though, the process of
playing in such a high-intensity sports city can become overbearing.
Other players, though, simply find that
they cannot find the minutes they need on their chosen sports arena. In the
NHL, the Boston Bruins have long awaited Jake DeBrusk to become the quality
option he was supposed to. A 27-goal haul three years ago had Bostonians hoping
that the player would be able to become a major scoring option to support the
stars of the team.
However, a meagre foul goals in 26 games in
the COVID-impacted 2021 season left some fans worried that he would never make
the grade at the level hoped for and expected.
That looks even more true now, though, as
the player has asked to be traded from Boston to move on. The left winger has
asked to move on having seen Taylor Hall absorb a large chunk of the available
minutes on the left-wing slot.
The trade will mean that DeBrusk should
have no issues in being given the trade he wants. His contract and the fact he
is no longer an active part of the team means that finding an active taker for
such a talent should not be an issue.
Three goals in 18 games so far in the
season, and a non-injury scratch in the most recent game against Vancouver, was
a blow for the player.
Will Boston look to give DeBrusk the trade he wants?
It sounds like it. Boston have been clear
in the past that players who do not want to stick around can be moved on, and
DeBrusk looks certain to be given his intended wish. While nothing is believed
to be immediate, the likelihood is that he will move on sooner rather than
later.
For Boston, there was a lot of effort made
to help elevate the player from a second-string option to a key scoring
solution. Since his excellent 27-goal season, though, there has been precious
little to build on consistently. A fresh start in a less demanding franchise
might be just what the player needs. For Boston, the arrival of Hall means that
they can likely without the burst scoring of DeBrusk for the time being.
However, it is likely that they will look
to find a similar squad option who can help to add to the rotation a little bit
more. Reports of a summer trade request have not been denied, either, so this
looks like it has been in the making for some time. A slow start to the season
paired with being dropped from the last game, then, was probably the final
issue that both sides had to see before making a definitive call.