Player Discussion Jake DeBrusk IV: The debate rages forth

[DKH]

Jake was seething after Rangers game about Cassidy calling out his effort

Cassidy has played him on every line, both wings, penalty kill, power play, shoot outs, benched him, scratched him, probably had a reiki healer perform on him.

it’s not working

Sucks for me since December 2019 bought my kid a DeBrusk jersey for birthday- the smile, the charisma, the youth, the potential....

well here we are

I think change is inevitable and wherever he goes I hope he’s everything & more I thought he’d be

I’m GM I package him and and???? go after Conor Garland or Rickard Rakell

I’m also open to an offseason of introspective

time will sort out

 

[EON]

DeBrusk needs to go after this season, especially if they re-sign Hall & Krejci to run the 2nd line back. He needs a change of scenery and I don't think it's worth keeping him to play #3 LW if they re-sign Hall.

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Hall-Krejci-Smith
Ritchie/Frederic-Studnicka-Coyle
Frederic/Ritchie-Lazar-Wagner/Kuhlman

Wildcard: Lauko

 

[BruinsBtn]

I just don't understand what happened to the motor. When he started, he ran down pucks like a maniac.

 

[ap3lovr]

Hopefully Jake can get it going in the playoffs. That line could be very good in the playoffs. If he can elevate his game and helps this team raise a cup. We will all be hoping he comes back next season.

 

[inactive user]

Hopefully Jake can get it going in the playoffs. That line could be very good in the playoffs. If he can elevate his game and helps this team raise a cup. We will all be hoping he comes back next season.

My ideal 3rd line if everyone plays to their potential would be DeBrusk - Coyle - Kase. Sounds like a pretty damn good 3rd line on paper imo.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

I just don't understand what happened to the motor. When he started, he ran down pucks like a maniac.

Totally. It’s bizarre, looks like the will isn’t there.

 

[EverettMike]

You know, forget the numbers entirely, he sucked last year too. I remember a lot of conversations about how his stick was where plays went to die. Zero creativity, just a north/south game that offered very little outside of being a body that took up space. This year he's not even doing that. The effort is not there. He can be as pissed as he wants with Cassidy, but Bruce ain't wrong, and Jake has no one to blame but himself. (He wasn't any better pre-Covid either.)

 

[Mione134]

You know, forget the numbers entirely, he sucked last year too. I remember a lot of conversations about how his stick was where plays went to die. Zero creativity, just a north/south game that offered very little outside of being a body that took up space. This year he's not even doing that. The effort is not there. He can be as pissed as he wants with Cassidy, but Bruce ain't wrong, and Jake has no one to blame but himself. (He wasn't any better pre-Covid either.)

He had 19 goals last year before the shutdown. 27 the year before. I'm not seeing the problem the last 2 years.

 

[EverettMike]

He had 19 goals last year before the shutdown. 27 the year before. I'm not seeing the problem the last 2 years.

Didn't I literally start that by saying to look past the numbers?

If you think the numbers tell the whole story, fine. But I do not.

 

[Mione134]

Didn't I literally start that by saying to look past the numbers?

If you think the numbers tell the whole story, fine. But I do not.

Well, I think you need to look at the numbers as well when factoring in every thing. He was producing last year. And the year before that. One can easily assume he would of gotten to 20-25 goals last year. Is that not productive? This year has been a wash. But hopefully he can get back into the lineup and produce again. Just like how everyone was excited about Coyle getting a goal yesterday, hopefully the same can go for Jake.

 

[BruinsBtn]

One thing that Fluto wrote is that Debrusk is single and with the covid restrictions, it's a pretty lonely existence. Some guys handle that better than others.

If that's the issue, there's hope for a rebound next year or maybe even this year if they start loosening things up.

 

[BMC]

I think DeBrusk's problems are between his ears- the Kadri hit & COVID life may have combined to really screw up his head. If he's pissed because the coach dared to call him out after giving him every and I mean EVERY opportunity to perform that's an additional issue that does not help. I think the Bruins should flat out require him to work with a sports psychologist to straighten himself out. If he already has and this is still the result then I don't see why the Bruins should keep him.

 

[inactive user]

One thing that Fluto wrote is that Debrusk is single and with the covid restrictions, it's a pretty lonely existence. Some guys handle that better than others.

If that's the issue, there's hope for a rebound next year or maybe even this year if they start loosening things up.

I thought he had a gf.

 

[BMC]

I thought he had a gf.

If he does then maybe she didn’t want to or couldn’t join him in the bubble

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I think DeBrusk's problems are between his ears- the Kadri hit & COVID life may have combined to really screw up his head. If he's pissed because the coach dared to call him out after giving him every and I mean EVERY opportunity to perform that's an additional issue that does not help. I think the Bruins should flat out require him to work with a sports psychologist to straighten himself out. If he already has and this is still the result then I don't see why the Bruins should keep him.

Didn’t he not miss a game after the cheap shot from Kadri? I don’t really understand why/how that could have screwed him up so much mentally. He just doesn’t want to face confrontation and physicality on the ice? I just can’t quite grasp the theory.

Anyways, DeBrusk has been underperforming, somewhat consistently, for some time. Whether you think it’s just this year or in years passed as well, he’s not showing that he’s a real net positive in the lineup. He can’t really hang in the top 6 with his lack of production and he’s really not a fit on more blue collar lines from what I can see.

Maybe he can find that next gear again after the scratches and headed into the playoffs. But I do think there’s some real denial going on for people who are minimizing his perpetual struggle to achieve the level of play that he is capable of playing and that would help the team.

 

[mjhfb]

Didn’t he not miss a game after the cheap shot from Kadri? I don’t really understand why/how that could have screwed him up so much mentally. He just doesn’t want to face confrontation and physicality on the ice? I just can’t quite grasp the theory.

Anyways, DeBrusk has been underperforming, somewhat consistently, for some time. Whether you think it’s just this year or in years passed as well, he’s not showing that he’s a real net positive in the lineup. He can’t really hang in the top 6 with his lack of production and he’s really not a fit on more blue collar lines from what I can see.

Maybe he can find that next gear again after the scratches and headed into the playoffs. But I do think there’s some real denial going on for people who are minimizing his perpetual struggle to achieve the level of play that he is capable of playing and that would help the team.

Another way to put it is there's no room for him in the top six anymore. Maybe next season is different, but the reality is that DeBrusk is now fighting for a bottom 6 winger spot (most likely 3LW or 4LW) to stay in the lineup.

 

[b in vancouver]

Jake was seething after Rangers game about Cassidy calling out his effort

Cassidy has played him on every line, both wings, penalty kill, power play, shoot outs, benched him, scratched him, probably had a reiki healer perform on him.

it’s not working

Sucks for me since December 2019 bought my kid a DeBrusk jersey for birthday- the smile, the charisma, the youth, the potential....

well here we are

I think change is inevitable and wherever he goes I hope he’s everything & more I thought he’d be

I’m GM I package him and and???? go after Conor Garland or Rickard Rakell

I’m also open to an offseason of introspective

time will sort out

I'm so hoping it works out in Boston. My fingers are crossed that he's just been having some trouble coping with lockdown or something. I don't know. ?

I'm one of few that was happy The Bruins drafted him. Saw him in juniors - what you said - but more he looked like He Got It. He was playing an NHL style game. Talented for sure but also positioning, work ethic, smartest player on the ice. So I really hope it works out. Such a likeable kid.

It's kinda like Brett Connolly. I know my hockey but could never figure out why he wasn't impacting the game. Same feeling with Jake. Everything's there but it's just not translating. Are you seeing anything I'm missing? It's bugging me.

If they move DeBrusk I hope he has a fantastic career.

 

[BMC]

Didn’t he not miss a game after the cheap shot from Kadri? I don’t really understand why/how that could have screwed him up so much mentally. He just doesn’t want to face confrontation and physicality on the ice? I just can’t quite grasp the theory.

Anyways, DeBrusk has been underperforming, somewhat consistently, for some time. Whether you think it’s just this year or in years passed as well, he’s not showing that he’s a real net positive in the lineup. He can’t really hang in the top 6 with his lack of production and he’s really not a fit on more blue collar lines from what I can see.

Maybe he can find that next gear again after the scratches and headed into the playoffs. But I do think there’s some real denial going on for people who are minimizing his perpetual struggle to achieve the level of play that he is capable of playing and that would help the team.

I think it might be a subconscious thing with him. Otherwise I have trouble understanding why he now shies away from hitting and getting hit.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I think it might be a subconscious thing with him. Otherwise I have trouble understanding why he now shies away from hitting and getting hit.

There is something going on for sure. I certainly don’t have the answer.

Ive got some hope we see an impact from him when the games really start to count, but its going to get tough to move forward with him if he doesn’t show something. We’ve got to have a somewhat consistent second line going forward (when is the last time we had that?) and we can’t keep waiting for Jake to come out of his shell.

 

[Kegs]

he will be fine. as soon as an injury happens he will get the call and will wake up.. probably trains extra hard in the short offseason. i wouldnt count him out just yet he is very young still.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

he will be fine. as soon as an injury happens he will get the call and will wake up.. probably trains extra hard in the short offseason. i wouldnt count him out just yet he is very young still.

I think he bounces back.

Question is, will it be here?

Bruins have pretty bad patience with young forwards, and usually open to accepting awful returns, historically speaking that is.

 

[goldnblack]

1 shot, 0 hits. Played a bit of PK. I dunno, I guess he also didn't do anything bad. But not exactly shot out of a cannon today. I guess he did hit that post too.

 

[13Hockey]

Bruce did not seem happy at all with Jake post game

 

[Dr Hook]

Bruce did not seem happy at all with Jake post game

Nor should he have been. The point was for Jake to get back in the lineup and earn his way back to where the Bruins want him to be. Instead, while he wasn't awful, he played like a generic 4th liner. He didn't show up like he needed to, like a guy that was hungry to get back into the lineup and get his game going.

 

[Beesfan]

Very tough situation. I honestly don't think he fits into the lineup right now. He has to stay on the left wing, enough already with the right wing garbage. Every player says they can play both wings, but very few actually can (and they are almost all European). The only way DeBrusk gets in, imo, is to sub for Ritchie if he goes into a huge slump. I don't like DeBrusk on the fourth line at all.

His value is now seriously diminished, so trading him right now is less than ideal. He'd be a great catch for Seattle. The best case scenario may be to trade him to Seattle in exchange for a late round pick and an opportunity for us to designate the expansion draft selection.