Jake DeBrusk and the rest of the Bruins have some clarity regarding the forward’s status, and the team will need him to play his best hockey down the stretch.
Boston signed DeBrusk to a two-year extension ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline, which got many asking if this meant he would be traded. DeBrusk’s trade request became public in November, and all reports indicated he hadn’t changed his mind despite going on a recent hot stretch playing alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
But 3 p.m. ET came and went Monday and DeBrusk remained with the Bruins. General manager Don Sweeney revealed the forward still is an important part of the team, and Marchand still expects his teammate to continue to compete as the Bruins prepare to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“That’s how it goes,” Marchand told reporters after the B’s 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens when asked about DeBrusk, per team-provided audio. “I understand the way everything kind of played out. The team’s going to do what’s best for the team, not what’s best for individuals. If it didn’t work, it didn’t work. Jake’s here, he’s part of the group moving forward, and we expect him to be part of the group and compete and work every day, the same way everyone else is expected to. We’ve been going pretty good as of late as a group and he’s fitting on our line, so we’re going to need that to continue moving forward.”
While DeBrusk didn’t register a point in Monday’s win, he did have five shots on goal.
The Bruins have their work cut out for them in a loaded Atlantic Division, and they’ll get their first look at the Lightning’s upgrades when they host Tampa Bay on Thursday night at TD Garden.
