SWEENEY SHOPPING DISGRUNTLED DEBRUSK
Struggling forward back in lineup with Marchand suspended
Jake Debrusk was slotted to be in the lineup for the Bruins when they take on the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. But he may not be in Black and Gold for much longer after his request for a trade became public on Monday.
Debrusk took part in the team’s morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena but, through the team’s communication department, declined to speak with reporters about his request.
Both GM Don Sweeney and captain Patrice Bergeron did, however. And the GM was not taken by surprise on Monday by the request from Debrusk, whose healthy scratch on Sunday may have been the last — but not only — straw for both the player and team.
In a perfect world, the B’s would probably have Debrusk sit out until a deal can be consummated. But with Brad Marchand (suspension) and Anton Blidh (upper body injury) unavailable, and with the Providence Bruins in COVID lockdown and player unable to be recalled, there was little choice but to play Debrusk.
“Jake has certainly let it be known that he’d prefer a new opportunity. We expect Jake to play well,” said Sweeney on Tuesday morning. “This comes down to the Boston Bruins having to make a hockey decision. And for Jake, it comes down to playing his best hockey, whether that’s for us — and hopefully that’s for us tonight — but also if it is leading to an opportunity elsewhere, he has to play his best hockey as a player. He knows that. He’s shown a lot of maturity in trying to handle this as appropriately as possible. …We have been trying to look at a hockey situation that would help the Boston Bruins and as I do my job and accommodate what Jake feels is best.
There’s a balance there. That’s the profession.”
Sweeney confirmed he’s had interest in Debrusk, but also added that he would not rule out dealing him for futures as opposed to a current NHLER, or possibly a combination of the two.
“That’s my sole purpose in this, to make sure we do what’s right for our club,” said Sweeney. “We’re a competitive club and we’d obviously like to be that. How we do that may be based on what other teams may or may not be engaging with.”
When Sweeney took over from Peter Chiarelli in 2015, one of his goals was to make sure that the young talent in the organization was identified and nurtured to its potential. And it looked like Debrusk (one of the B’s three first round picks in 2015) was going to be one of the the success stories after a 27-goal season in his second NHL season. But he has been on a decline since then. This season, which was hoped to be a bounce-back year for the 25year-old, he scored the gamewinning goal in the season
opener and had showed signs of playing a better all-round game, but he went into Tuesday’s game with 3-3- 6 totals in 17 games.
Sweeney has dealt a lot of young players in tenure — Ryan Lindgren, Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato Anders Bjork, Frank Vatrano — but all those players were moved at the trade deadline as Sweeney tried to gear up for playoff runs. A couple of those players (Donato and Bjork) secured long-term pieces in Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall.
But this is the first time a young player has essentially painted him into a corner.
“I think every team would like to to grow their own players and know their own players and have as much success as they possibly can and the team along with that. That’s been the primary goal. It certainly was when I took over and obviously before. And we’ve had some success. And Jake’s had a lot of success,” said Sweeney. “At times, players get to a situation where they don’t feel they’re playing their best hockey. And I think Jake would admit he hasn’t played his best hockey. And sometimes players just say ‘maybe it’s cleaner if I try to do that somewhere else.’ And that’s probably where this has gotten. Responsibility is shared in that regard. It doesn’t mean we stop working and stop trying to compete at the level we have to. And Jake has to go out and play his best game tonight because that’s what’s best for Jake and the Boston Bruins.”
Having a teammate publicly declare through his agent that he wants out could certainly make for an uncomfortable situation in the dressing room among teammates. But Bergeron expects continued professionalism from Debrusk.
“To me, honestly, it’s not a first and it’s going to happen again. It’s just one of those things in sports where people ask for trades,” said Bergeron. “For us, things don’t change. We’re going to expect Jake to be accountable just like the rest of the guys, work hard like the rest of the guys. Nothing changes. The culture stays the same, the way we approach things stays the same. … That’s the approach we have as a team, is to on the ice play as a team, play for one another, play for the Boston Bruins and play for the crest. That’s what we’re expecting out of Jake, for the time being.”
Cassidy placed in COVID protocol
If things weren’t going badly enough for the B’s, the team announced that coach Bruce Cassidy was placed in COVID-19 protocol Tuesday morning. Sweeney said that so far he’d been experiencing just mild symptoms so far. According to the protocol, he’ll be out at least 10 days and a return is contingent on the dissipation of symptoms and subsequent testing.
Though it had not been announced by the club, assistant coach Chris Kelly had already been placed in COVID protocol after last coaching against Calgary on Nov. 21.
Joe Sacco was set to take over the head coaching duties while Cassidy is out while goalie coach Bob Essensa and skills coach Kim Branvold will also pick up other duties.
Door remains wide open for Rask return
While he hasn’t yet begun contract negotiations with free agent goalie Tuukka Rask, who continues to rehab from hip surgery, Sweeney again said the door was open. If Rask wants to return, it sounds like an inevitability.
“There’s been a general understanding that Tuukka has to make a decision on his health, first and foremost, and when he’s able to do that officially and declare that this is what he wants to do and play, then we’ll find the common ground. We have not hidden from that fact that, if he is indeed healthy and wants to play, that he’s likely to be a part of our group,” said Sweeney.
His assessment of his current two goalies, Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark?
“They’ve been OK,” said Sweeney. “I think both of them have had really, really strong pockets of games and other times they haven’t played quite as well as they would have liked.”