Among the many questions the Bruins face this offseason is the future of Jake DeBrusk.
The forward requested a trade out of Boston this season, but a deal never got done for DeBrusk. Instead, he signed a two-year contract extension at the NHL trade deadline — something he said he was happy about — but it’s unclear if he will be with the Bruins when the 2022-23 season begins.
DeBrusk enjoyed success on the top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, and he finished this season with 25 goals. He addressed his future with the Bruins on Monday during breakup day, noting he hasn’t thought much about it.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney addressed the media during his end-of-the-year availability Wednesday and doesn’t believe much has changed when it comes to DeBrusk wanting a trade.
“I don’t think things have changed, other than he’s happier because his life improved an awful lot. And he deserves a lot of credit for that. He went out and did perform,” Sweeney said. “Maybe it’s a clearer headspace that he defined. Not really thinking about things. Now he might take some time to reevaluate and realize that I peeked over the neighbor’s yard and the grass is not necessarily greener. My lawn is looking pretty damn good, too.
“Players have their own right. I’ve said all along, I think I know what Jake DeBrusk is capable of. Everybody would like to hold all of our guys to that standard, and to his credit, he went out and performed and played well.”
The Bruins surely will have a busy offseason, and now we enter wait-and-see mode.
