Bruins Extend DeBrusk

Dduncan6er

New Member
Apr 16, 2020
335
Springfield, MA
DeBrusk signed an extension. I bet he's gone now, this facilitates a trade.

View: https://twitter.com/NHLBruins/status/1505910928247767045?s=20&t=vf0FuQucMVD1MKuxz7tI1g
What's the advantage of extending him before trading vs allowing the team trading for him to extend him? Is this a case where maybe they have a few interested teams and he becomes more valuable with another 2 years tacked on? Basically he and his agent agreed to this to make it easier for Boston to move him?
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
What's the advantage of extending him before trading vs allowing the team trading for him to extend him? Is this a case where maybe they have a few interested teams and he becomes more valuable with another 2 years tacked on? Basically he and his agent agreed to this to make it easier for Boston to move him?
Yeah - it removes the risk of him not signing with the new team (even though he's restricted).
 

TSC

SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
SoSH Member
Oct 25, 2007
12,280
Between here and everywhere.
I understand this is likely to facilitate a better return for the Bruins in a trade, but I really wish this was Jake reconsidering and wanting to stay after getting 1st line rub.

There’s not much the Bruins can get in a trade that would be better than an at his best DeBrusk, but that ship has probably sailed.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
What's the advantage of extending him before trading vs allowing the team trading for him to extend him? Is this a case where maybe they have a few interested teams and he becomes more valuable with another 2 years tacked on? Basically he and his agent agreed to this to make it easier for Boston to move him?
He was arb eligible and needed a qualifying offer north of $4 million to retain his rights. That worried some teams, so essentailly on the trade market he was being viewed as a rental. Now the qualifying offer is off the table and there's cost certainty for the acquiring team.

We'll what the day brings but I'm almost certain he's gone by 3:00. I don't see why he would sign it without some assucances from the Bruins that they'll move him. If there wasn't anything close, I think the play for him would've been to take it to free agency and force the Bruins to either non-QO thus making him a UFA for takethe 1-year QO.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,535
right here
I understand this is likely to facilitate a better return for the Bruins in a trade, but I really wish this was Jake reconsidering and wanting to stay after getting 1st line rub.

There’s not much the Bruins can get in a trade that would be better than an at his best DeBrusk, but that ship has probably sailed.
co-sign
was literally just having a conversation last night about how it would be nice if he/Cassidy/the team saw what happened when he was on this line and they both agreed that hey, you know what? This works. He obviously likes the guys in the room and they him.
 

BostonFanInCanesLand

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 16, 2011
1,948
I understand this is likely to facilitate a better return for the Bruins in a trade, but I really wish this was Jake reconsidering and wanting to stay after getting 1st line rub.

There’s not much the Bruins can get in a trade that would be better than an at his best DeBrusk, but that ship has probably sailed.
Yeah, a trade today is the most likely outcome. But there’s still a chance that he stays, or at least stays on the 1L until draft day/this summer.

I’d be surprised if they traded DeBrusk before having a RW1 or C2 trade lined up. I hope they do find such a player today (but things don’t always work out).

DeBrusk is so talented, but so maddeningly inconsistent.

You’d think he’d be game for playing on the 1st line for a playoff run. Sweeney’s been pretty steadfast in holding out for value so we’ll see.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
co-sign
was literally just having a conversation last night about how it would be nice if he/Cassidy/the team saw what happened when he was on this line and they both agreed that hey, you know what? This works. He obviously likes the guys in the room and they him.
Crazier things have happened. Maybe he's decided to stay and the extension is the organization's way of showing commitment to him.
 

Jordu

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2003
8,962
Brookline
He was arb eligible and needed a qualifying offer north of $4 million to retain his rights. That worried some teams, so essentailly on the trade market he was being viewed as a rental. Now the qualifying offer is off the table and there's cost certainty for the acquiring team.
Which means he should bring more in return.
 

ngruz25

Bibby
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
18,976
Pittsburgh, PA
I love that the Bruins' social media team announced the signing with the same flashy graphics as a true signing or acquisition, despite all reporters correctly noting that this is likely a sign and trade scenario.

Big "we got him" energy.
 

RG33

Certain Class of Poster
SoSH Member
Nov 28, 2005
7,199
CA
This has to be, almost assuredly, part of a trade. Why else would this happen right now based on all of the extenuating circumstances?

I think it is a bummer that he is likely moving on — but as a rival GM said, “something stinks here”. I would guess he is an immature kid and Cassidy getting in his grill rubbed him the wrong way and he just doesn’t want to play for him anymore.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
could also be a "play out the season, we'll get it down in the off-season" agreement
I don't think that makes sense for Jake. It's basically giving Boston more levarage and, worst case scenario, he's stuck here for 2 more years. I don't think he signs this unless he has some assurances from the Bruins that they are close on a trade. I think the better play for him if he really, really wants out would be to play out the season and then force the Bruins hand in the offseason via the QO/non-QO.
 

burstnbloom

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 12, 2005
2,761
It's almost certainly a condition involved in a trade. There's no way he would have inked that deal knowing how unhappy he is, given how impatient his agent has been, if it wasn't to facilitate moving him.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
was literally just having a conversation last night about how it would be nice if he/Cassidy/the team saw what happened when he was on this line and they both agreed that hey, you know what? This works.
Playing with the one of the best duos in hockey, in a stretch where he's showcasing his best to try to get traded, he's got 2 points in his last 9 games. Remind me again how "this" is working?

His incredible streakiness and tendency to absolutely disappear for weeks is not remotely what you want on your first line. He has been given the ice time and the line mates to produce and still has disappeared.

He obviously likes the guys in the room and they him.
That is not at all obvious. They've said all the correct professional things publicly, but nothing I've seen indicates a particular fondness past that.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
That is not at all obvious. They've said all the correct professional things publicly, but nothing I've seen indicates a particular fondness past that.
And we even had Chuckie calling him out for his shitty self care habits before the season.

I mean, if I had a guy on my team who didn't put the effort into taking care of himself, disappeared for stretches at a time, and couldn't make the simple fucking fixes to his game to the point where the coach has to repeatedly publically call him out? I wouldn't give two shits about him, even if he was fun to have some beers with. It's a job.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
I mean, if I had a guy on my team who didn't put the effort into taking care of himself, disappeared for stretches at a time, and couldn't make the simple fucking fixes to his game to the point where the coach has to repeatedly publically call him out? I wouldn't give two shits about him, even if he was fun to have some beers with. It's a job.
But what if he just got better linemates?
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
One thing that is a little weird is why the Bruins even bothered to announce it if he's out the door in 3 hours.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2002
28,535
right here
Playing with the one of the best duos in hockey, in a stretch where he's showcasing his best to try to get traded, he's got 2 points in his last 9 games. Remind me again how "this" is working?

His incredible streakiness and tendency to absolutely disappear for weeks is not remotely what you want on your first line. He has been given the ice time and the line mates to produce and still has disappeared.


That is not at all obvious. They've said all the correct professional things publicly, but nothing I've seen indicates a particular fondness past that.
4th on the team in goals.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,101
One thing that is a little weird is why the Bruins even bothered to announce it if he's out the door in 3 hours.
Someone would have leaked it. Between the team, league, agent, too many people knew to keep it secret.
 

BlackJack

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 11, 2007
3,456
Someone would have leaked it. Between the team, league, agent, too many people knew to keep it secret.
Why would they even want to keep it secret? If having a contract in place makes him more desirable as a trade piece, this has got to be the fastest way to let all the other GMs know.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Why would they even want to keep it secret? If having a contract in place makes him more desirable as a trade piece, this has got to be the fastest way to let all the other GMs know.
I'm sure they know, or he can send out a blast email to everyone. DeBrusk's agent had permission to talk to other teams about extensions, so the lines of communicaiton were open everywhere. It just sends a weird message to fans. If nothing gets done, they could obviously announce it after the deadline.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I'm sure they know, or he can send out a blast email to everyone. DeBrusk's agent had permission to talk to other teams about extensions, so the lines of communicaiton were open everywhere. It just sends a weird message to fans. If nothing gets done, they could obviously announce it after the deadline.
The fact that the agent had permission to talk to other teams, makes me even more certain that this was just step 1 in a trade. Teams might have told agent, "We don't want to trade for him without certainty that he's more than a rental." So agent goes to Bruins and says "make this signing happen, and Team X will make the trade."
 

TSC

SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
SoSH Member
Oct 25, 2007
12,280
Between here and everywhere.

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Hopefully this was the team calling his agent’s bluff. Now he can settle the fuck down, try to make something happen on a cup run, and get moved in the off-season.
 

Ed Hillel

Wants to be startin somethin
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2007
43,594
Here
I demand you trade me, I'll go ahead and sign a short, (probably team-friendly extension), but I still don't want to play here.

He should probably fire his agent.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
I’m fine with it though. It’s not an egregious price, it’s below his QO offer, and it makes him able to be moved in the off-season. The way it all unfolded today was odd though.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
I thin DeBrusk's extension was a last-ditch "now how much would you pay?" situation. That is, they were trying to drive up offers enough that they could get sufficient value in return, but never got one.

EDIT: So now they say to him "go tear things up in the playoffs" and we'll easily move you for our expected value in the off-season.
 

wiffleballhero

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 28, 2009
4,537
In the simulacrum
I thin DeBrusk's extension was a last-ditch "now how much would you pay?" situation. That is, they were trying to drive up offers enough that they could get sufficient value in return, but never got one.

EDIT: So now they say to him "go tear things up in the playoffs" and we'll easily move you for our expected value.

It is just really hard to see how this works for DeBrusk unless there is already an agreed upon trade on the back end.

If this is what happened, it seems like he sort of got played.
 

Dogman

Yukon Cornelius
Moderator
SoSH Member
Mar 19, 2004
15,182
Missoula, MT
Perhaps there was no market for him and teams/GMs see exactly what we see.

What is also possible is the price tags and Don just wouldn't pull the trigger. He may well expect JDB is more valuable to Boston during this run than the cost of a trade. Sweeney probably also sees acquiring Lindholm as a way to mask offensive struggles and keep this team in games for a deep run.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
It is just really hard to see how this works for DeBrusk unless there is already an agreed upon trade on the back end.

If this is what happened, it seems like he sort of got played.
He did what he could to make himself look attractive possible, but still no one asked him to dance -- it takes two to tango.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 13, 2021
11,947
He’s gotten increased playing on a team that is going to the playoffs and now has a multi-year deal. Maybe not exactly what he wanted but it could be worse.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Perhaps there was no market for him and teams/GMs see exactly what we see.

What is also possible is the price tags and Don just wouldn't pull the trigger. He may well expect JDB is more valuable to Boston during this run than the cost of a trade. Sweeney probably also sees acquiring Lindholm as a way to mask offensive struggles and keep this team in games for a deep run.
I think there was a substantial market for him. I think the biggest reason he is still here is because the Bruins decided they weren't going to remove him from the roster unless they had a replacement coming in, either via the same deal or a 3rd team. If they wanted to, they could've just traded him for futures.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
He’s gotten increased playing on a team that is going to the playoffs and now has a multi-year deal. Maybe not exactly what he wanted but it could be worse.
Yes, and he's playing (well) on the top line of said playoff team. It's not a stretch to think that his present value to the Bs is greater than it is to any other team.
 

Myt1

educated, civility-loving ass
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 13, 2006
41,582
South Boston
Perhaps there was no market for him and teams/GMs see exactly what we see.
Likeliest possibility, IMHO. But then super weird to have signed the extension without something agreed to, at least in principle. Seems like he hurt himself here, no?
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,101
My assumption is that while DeBrusk may be disappointed that he wasn't traded at the deadline, he was probably OK with waiting until the offseason if it came to that. The contract should be very tradeable at that time. Doubtful he left much guaranteed money on the table. And he protects himself in the event of injury during the rough-and-tumble Eastern Conference playoffs.