Could Oilers swing trade with Bruins for Jake DeBrusk?
Could the Edmonton Oilers swing a trade with the Boston Bruins to bring Jake DeBrusk back to his hometown?
Every time the Bruins have visited the Alberta capital over the past few seasons, stories always focus on DeBrusk being back in Edmonton and reuniting with father Louie, a former Oilers enforcer who is now a broadcaster for the team.
It never fails to be one of the more heartwarming stories of the season. So with Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now reporting that the Bruins might be considering trading the 27-year-old, the Oilers should be one of his most preferred destinations. The problem is that this could be one of the more difficult trades at this year’s deadline.
The trade deadline is only three days away and both the Oilers and Bruins are poised to be in the buyers market. Any trade between the two teams would have to improve their current rosters if it wants any hope of getting completed. This means that future assets, such as draft picks and prospects, would most likely take a backseat to roster players.
No push-ups for DeBrusk! š¤ pic.twitter.com/xM0avfWsJu
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 22, 2024
It’s been a difficult season for DeBrusk with the Bruins. After putting up a career year with 27 goals and 50 points in 64 games last season, the Edmonton native has just 14 goals and 29 points in 61 games this year. He’s been plagued going long stretches without getting on the scoresheet. His trade value is not what it was over the summer and the Bruins should know that, but with DeBrusk being a pending UFA, this might be Boston’s last chance to get assets back for him.
That doesn’t mean he is worthless by any means. He is still a capable middle-six player who could very well rediscover his scoring touch with a change of scenery. The Oilers would not be able to get him for nothing.
Perhaps a swap of pending UFA forwards would make sense for both teams. Warren Foegele is in the midst of the best season of his career, with 31 points in 59 games, and is probably not going to be re-signed by the Oilers. Though this is a good starting point, you have to imagine the Bruins will probably want more based on DeBrusk having a better track record than Foegele.
Edmonton does have a few intriguing depth options that could sweeten the pot for Boston. A guy like Sam Gagner, who has been good this season but has struggled to stay in the lineup for some reason, could be a decent throw-in. If the Oilers are confident in Philip Broberg, maybe a guy like Cody Ceci could make sense if the Bruins miss out on other D targets, but that seems much less likely from an Edmonton perspective.
Money would also make a potential trade difficult as DeBrusk carries a $4 million cap hit and the Bruins would almost certainly not retain him. Edmonton would have to probably sacrifice a mid-round draft pick to a third team to make him fit under the cap, raising the price of a trade once more.
Wanting to acquire DeBrusk makes sense for the Oilers. He would fit the mould of this team and has the potential to regain his form from last season, which would be huge in the playoffs. The problem is that the Oilers might not have the right kind of assets or cap room to make a trade feasible.
This would be much easier if the Bruins were selling at the deadline, but they are also vying for the Stanley Cup this season. Boston would be just as fine to keep DeBrusk as an in-house rental rather than trade him away for a subpar return.
The trade deadline is a wacky time for everyone involved so, as unlikely or difficult a trade might seem at the moment, things could certainly change over the next few days.