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DeBrusk had probably his best professional season yet in 2022-23, putting up 27 goals, a career-high 50 points and a career-best plus-minus rating (plus-26) while averaging 16:47 of ice time in a top-six role for the Bruins. The 26-year-old winger also set new career bests with 191 shots on goal and 14 power-play points while being limited to only 64 contests due to a lower-body injury. With Tyler Bertuzzi, who picked up four goals and 16 points through 21 contests after being traded from Detroit to Boston at the deadline, now in Toronto, DeBrusk's role could grow in 2023-24. If that comes to fruition and DeBrusk is able to stay healthy, he could improve upon the 50 points he tallied a year ago during the upcoming campaign.
The old adage that time heals all wounds certainly would apply for DeBrusk. The 2015 first-rounder (14th overall) requested a trade from the Bruins. The team didn't accommodate him, so DeBrusk stayed with the club, playing 77 games a season ago and finishing with 25 goals, the second time in his career he has reached that mark. DeBrusk then reportedly informed Boston management this offseason that he would like to stay with the club moving forward. DeBrusk has never managed more than 43 points in a single season because he doesn't pick up many assists, but he would appear to be one of the leading candidates to open the 2022-23 campaign on Boston's top line alongside Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak while Brad Marchand is sidelined in the early going due to double-hip surgery.
DeBrusk's 2020-21 season was an unmitigated disaster, as he dealt with multiple injuries in addition to spending time on the COVID-19 protocols list. He ended up playing in just 41 regular-season games, managing a measly five goals and 19 points. At the heart of DeBrusk's freefall was a colossal drop in terms of production with the man advantage. DeBrusk saw just 1:23 worth of power-play ice time per game (leading to three man-advantage points) in 2020-21, compared to 2:34 per game (10 points) two years prior. Clearly not confident in DeBrusk's ability to bounce back to his previous scoring levels, the Bruins added both Nick Foligno and Erik Haula as unrestricted free agents this summer. That leaves DeBrusk in a likely fourth-line role to begin the campaign, if not the press box, and miles away from being a viable fantasy option.
DeBrusk took a bit of a step back in 2019-20 after racking up 27 goals and 42 points in 68 games during the previous campaign, ending the shortened season with 19 goals and 35 points in 65 appearances, but that was to be expected, as he rode an unsustainable 17.3 shooting percentage in 2018-19. The 24-year-old winger will once again occupy a middle-six role while skating on the Bruins' second power-play unit in 2020-21. He shouldn't have any trouble playing at a 20-plus goal, 40-plus point pace while notching double-digit power-play points over the course of a full season, and he'll also average around 2.5 shots per game, giving him appeal as a depth option in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.
Selected No. 14 overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft after tallying 42 goals for WHL Swift Current in 2014-15, DeBrusk has quickly established himself as an ascending young winger for the Bruins. Though the 22-year-old endured some scoring slumps during the 2018-19 season, he still managed to light the lamp 27 times (while adding 15 helpers) in 68 games. DeBrusk's hard-driving style and willingness to shoot remain his strengths, and if he can add a little more consistency to his game, the 6-foot, 188-pounder can take his production (in both real and fantasy terms) to the next level. As it stands, he's destined to see plenty of top-six work this coming
season, as well as second-unit power-play action.
DeBrusk, who the Bruins selected No. 14 overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, should be recovered from an AC joint sprain in his shoulder well before the start of training camp. As a rookie in 2017-18, he logged 16 goals and 43 points in 70 games, while displaying poise and potential that foreshadows improved numbers down the road. A hard-driving style and willingness to shoot are the 21-year-old's calling cards and he'll be in the mix to secure top-six work up front for the Bruins this coming season.
DeBrusk, whom the Bruins took 14th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry draft, overcame a slow start in 2016-17 to log 19 goals and 30 assists in 74 games for AHL Providence. Look for the 20-year-old to receive an opportunity to make the big club out of training camp; down the road, his willingness to shoot and well-rounded offensive game could eventually lead to top-six work with the B’s. In the short term, he'll battle for slotting with fellow forward prospects Anders Bjork, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn and Danton Heinen.
Selected No. 14 overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft after tallying 42 goals for WHL Swift Current in 2014-15, DeBrusk's production fell to 21 goals in 61 games last season, though a painful groin injury that he suffered back on November while blocking a shot impacted his season negatively. Now well past the issue, DeBrusk is back on the fast track after a strong development camp performance. Down the road, the youngster has the potential to blossom into a legit goal scorer as a pro, with his shot and quick release handy assets in that regard.
DeBrusk, who recorded 42 goals and added 39 assists in 72 games with WHL Swift Current in 2014-15, needs additional seasoning at the junior level before he mounts a real challenge to make the Bruins roster. Nevertheless, a particularly nifty shootout goal during the Bruins’ Development Camp this summer provided observers with a tangible reminder of why the B's invested a first-round pick into adding the sniper to their growing collection of young prospects.
