One Player The Oilers Need To Steer Clear Of In A Trade: Jake DeBrusk

This offseason, there were rumors discussing the possibility of the Edmonton Oilers trading for Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. With the recent news that the 25-year-old has now requested a trade, those rumors are sure to pick back up again in the coming days and possibly weeks. While there are some intriguing parts in his game, however, the Oilers would be wise to stand back on this one.

No Real Fit

Throughout his career, DeBrusk has primarily played on the left wing, a position in which the Oilers are quite deep. With Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Warren Foegele currently holding down the top three left wing spots in this lineup, there isn’t a huge fit for DeBrusk. Of course, these lines could be shuffled, as a player like Nugent-Hopkins could be moved to the third line in a center role, but as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The Oilers offence at even strength has been a major talking point as of late, but in all honesty, it isn’t as bad as it is being made out to be. Through 20 games this season, they are tied for 10th in the league with 43 goals at 5v5. For comparison’s sake, they trail an offensively dominant Toronto Maple Leafs squad by just one in that regard, while having three games in hand.

DeBrusk Has Major Consistency Issues

When on his game, DeBrusk is a heck of a player. He proved this during the 2018-19 season, his second as an NHLer, when he recorded a career-high 27 goals in just 68 games. At that point, he appeared to have a very bright future ahead of him, but his career has stalled ever since.

In 41 games last season, DeBrusk was a shell of his former self, scoring just five goals and 14 points. After discussing some things with head coach Bruce Cassidy this offseason, both he and the Bruins organization were optimistic he would be able to turn things around in 2021-22, but that hasn’t been the case. Through 17 games, he has just three goals and six points. He was also a healthy scratch this past Sunday, which appears to have been the final straw for him as he requested a trade just a day later.

The problem for DeBrusk is that when he isn’t scoring, there isn’t a lot else he provides. Cassidy alluded to that as well when discussing why he scratched him on Sunday.

“I think what happens with Jake, and what we’ve seen over the last few years, is that when the production is there, you’re getting more second effort,” Cassidy explained. “They kind of go hand-in-hand. And when it’s not there, we lose a little bit of that.

“And that’s been the ask of him for a number of years now. No drop-off on this side of the ledger just because the production isn’t there. Any 20-goal scorer still only scores once every four games, right? … You still need the other things.”

Risky Player to Trade For

Because of the inconsistencies he has shown throughout his career to this point, DeBrusk would be a risky player for Holland to trade assets for. Despite his disappointing totals in the past few seasons, he has still gained plenty of interest around the league, as there are reportedly at least eight teams that have reached out to the Bruins in the past day to inquire about him.

This amount of interest likely means he won’t come all that cheap. That makes trading for him a no-go for the Oilers, as they cannot afford to give up assets on a player that has a ton of question marks surrounding his game.

The other issue, and one that adds to the risk, is DeBrusk’s contract situation. Not only is he on a fairly lucrative deal that carries a cap hit of $3.675 million, but he is also set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end. This would mean that not only would the Oilers have to move out money to bring him in, but they would also then have to re-sign him or lose him for nothing in free agency. With plenty of other key players in need of new contracts next season in Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, and Ryan McLeod, it doesn’t make sense for general manager Ken Holland to make the team’s cap situation even more complicated than it already is.

Better Players to Add

There are players on expiring contracts, referred to mainly as rentals, that make sense to trade assets for in hopes of going on a playoff run. The Oilers are certainly in a position to add rentals ahead of this season’s trade deadline, as they are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. That time will come, and you can bet Holland can and probably is already looking, but the fact of the matter is there are plenty of better options than DeBrusk and ones that will likely come at a cheaper cost.