If we had a nickel for every time over the last couple of years we have heard or seen a rumor that Boston Bruins winger, Jake DeBrusk, should come to the Edmonton Oilers I think we would all have enough to pay for his next contract. Now that DeBrusk is about to become a free agent, this is the best chance that the Oilers have to bring him in for real.
Last season, Debrusk scored 19 goals and added 21 assists for the Boston Bruins. While these point totals are the lowest of his in the last few seasons, that fact only helps the Oilers perhaps sign him this offseason. With money being tight for the Oilers, any leverage they can use in a contract negotiation comes in useful.
Earlier this week I wrote an article naming three players that will not be with the Oilers next season. On that list was Warren Foegele, a player who had almost identical stats to DeBrusk but had one more goal. In that article I wrote the main reason why we couldn't bring back Foegele because he would be asking for too much money.
Why should the Oilers spend more for DeBrusk?
If the Oilers spent money on bringing back Foegele they would be buying Foegele at his most expensive. Prior to this season, his high-point output was 13 goals with 28 points. This season is an outlier versus the rest of his career. The same can be said about DeBrusk, but if the Oilers were to spend money on him, they would be buying him at his low.
For that reason, if there was any time for the Oilers to bring in the locally-born goal scorer it would be this offseason. Having scored nearly 30 goals twice, DeBrusk could be an additional goal scorer to the Edmonton Oilers' already potent offence. Just like every move to be done by the Oilers this offseason the main issue will be how much he costs. I think knowing that the DeBrusk is from Edmonton he may take a bit of a discount, if he doesn't take a discount I doubt the Oilers can afford him, but it is nice to think about him in the top 6 till then though.