Jake DeBrusk may not have had the season he hoped for, but he's still confident in his overall play.
The Bruins winger potted 19 goals and 16 assists in 65 games during Boston's shortened 2019-20 season. DeBrusk did add four goals during the team's Stanley Cup Playoffs run.
DeBrusk spoke to the media Friday and was asked about the season. And even though he thought his game was more consistent, the 23-year-old had high expectations for himself entering the campaign.
"There was a lot of things that kind of happened this year in a sense of just my overall game. I think that obviously didn't go the way that I expected to at all," DeBrusk told reporters over Zoom. "I think that I had very high expectations for myself coming into this year and there's lots of ups and downs. So just kind of going through those waves is probably the thing that stands out the most this year, just how everything kind of happened I guess before playoffs. And then the break and the postseason, I think it was not necessarily similar. I thought my game was a little more consistent, just seemed like production didn't want to happen."
Debrusk, who will be a restricted free agent once free agency begins, credits the NHL bubble and deep playoff runs for shaping him as a player as he enters his second contract.
"I played four years now for this team or for this organization... So it's good experience," he said. "You know obviously this year just by itself, I mean playing playoff hockey in a bubble and then going into the finals last year and even my first year I feel like I've obviously learned a lot. I’m a younger player and this is my first deal after my entry level so obviously these years are kind of years that kind of shape you as a pro and help you understand what it takes to win and what can happen in the business side of things. So, I feel confident in my play. I guess I feel confident in how I can help this team. I know what kind of player I can be.
"And this year I don't think it could be replicated to be honest with you. I mean for how the common perception is, you know I'm still one goal away from 20 goals. And that's one thing I looked at once the first pause happened. I felt like I was completely different than what I guess that said. It's not easy to do in this league, but ... I haven't even really tuned into that yet, which is frustrating, but I think that these learning experiences from my struggles have really helped me or will help me as a pro when I continue on here."
It's unknown just when the 2020-21 NHL season will begin. But it's clear DeBrusk is focused on building off this year to be an even better player once the puck drops.
Photo thumbnail via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images
