Trade request becoming public was ‘very uncomfortable’ for ex-Bruins forward.
Jake DeBrusk tried to get a fresh start prior to this summer’s free agency when he requested not one, but two trades from the Bruins. The first request came the summer of 2021 after Boston was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
DeBrusk was a healthy scratch throughout the series, and he began to question what kind of role he had on the team going forward.
“I just thought it’s time for maybe a fresh start for both sides,” DeBrusk said during a recent appearance on “The Cam & Stick Podcast.” “At that point, I made the call to try and get it moving forward. I didn’t think they were taking it seriously, and I thought that, at that point, I was fighting for my career. I thought I could add more than what was happening, and I didn’t see anything changing.”
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While the initial trade request remained private, the second one became public. And it made for some “very uncomfortable” feelings around the hockey rink.
“When it came out, it was very uncomfortable,” DeBrusk said. “It was very uncomfortable going into the rink the next day and talk to the guys in the room. The guys that were there were the biggest reason why I got out of that situation, that side of things. They had my back. They were with me through it all and they were all good with me. They understood why in the room. They knew it was just me trying to find a better fit for my career to have a longer NHL career and a better chance at something.”
The Bruins signed DeBrusk to a two-year extension during the 2021-22 trade deadline, but never found a trade partner for the forward. After they were eliminated from the playoffs, Boston fired then-coach Bruce Cassidy, and DeBrusk rescinded his trade request not long after.
He ended up staying the length of his contract and even revealed his desire to avoid free agency and stay in Boston long-term. But it was a tough 2023-24 season offensively for DeBrusk. And despite being arguably the Bruins’ best forward throughout their playoff run this summer, the two sides never reached a new contract.
