Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Jake DeBrusk requested a trade on Nov. 29 but remains a regular forward with the Boston Bruins. With the March 21 trade deadline still two months away, one wonders if the 25-year-old winger will be skating with a new club before then.
DeBrusk hasn’t spoken to the media about his trade request. On Saturday, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters he didn’t know if the winger has changed his mind.
Following DeBrusk’s request, GM Don Sweeney reportedly told clubs he would take his time to find a suitable deal. It’s believed he sought a comparable forward or defenseman in return. With DeBrusk a restricted free agent this summer, Sweeney isn’t facing the same pressure to move him as he would if he was unrestricted.
The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont believes the Bruins’ 8-0-1 start to the New Year could make Sweeney even less inclined to move DeBrusk. Dupont also felt he must work harder to win puck battles to become a consistent top-six scorer.
That lack of physicality in DeBrusk’s game could also be affecting Sweeney’s efforts to find a suitable trade partner. While rumors linked him to the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, pundits in those cities doubted DeBrusk will end up with one of those teams.
A change of scenery could help DeBrusk find his game. Perhaps there are some clubs willing to bet on him blossoming into a reliable scoring winger but only if they can get him at an affordable price. However, that seems a remote possibility given Sweeney’s patient approach to moving him. It could take until the March 21 trade deadline before he finds a deal to his liking.
