During the previous season, DeBrusk reached his career-best goal tally of 27 while playing alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Injury setbacks prevented him from potentially setting a new record. With Bergeron's retirement, a linchpin of his success, DeBrusk faces a shift.
The spotlight turns to DeBrusk's performance alongside a new center. Despite approaching unrestricted free agency for the first time, he recently voiced his desire to stick with the Bruins. His words hint at an impending contract reevaluation.
Considering DeBrusk's aspiration to remain a Bruin and his standout year, a notable pay increase is likely. «I'm hoping to stay [with the Boston Bruins]. It's the only team that I know and the team that I grew up with,» DeBrusk shared. «Hopefully it goes in that direction, and we'll see how it goes. That's why I have an agent (Rick Valette), and I told him I wanted to stay out of this one and in time, it'll be nice when it all gets done.» Jake DeBrusk mentioned to NHL.com.
While DeBrusk could secure a higher salary, his commitment to the Bruins might prompt a more modest arrangement. Consider Brandon Hagel's contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning – a $52 million, eight-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $6.5 million. Last season, Hagel marked a career-best 30 goals and 24 assists, compared to DeBrusk's 27 goals. DeBrusk's role on the first line over two seasons has delivered 52 goals and 40 assists, featuring three 20-goal seasons versus Hagel's two. A reasonable contract projection for DeBrusk could be an eight-year term at $6.75 million AAV for $54 million. This upfront commitment may prove advantageous for Boston in the long run.
