The New York Islanders should trade for Jake DeBrusk. The Isles have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, scoring the fewest amount of goals in hockey with 92. Although defense has been their priority for the past few years, it couldn’t hurt to add more offensive firepower to complement the defensive structure.

History

DeBrusk was drafted by the Boston Bruins with the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, two picks before Mathew Barzal. There’s a reason for that. Although it looks foolish in hindsight for the Bruins to have passed on Barzal with three consecutive picks right before the Isles took their star center, the Bruins got a high-caliber player in DeBrusk. 

After a strong rookie year and a 27-goal sophomore season, the 25-year-old has gone on a slide in the past few years. He has been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and his relationship with Bruins’ head coach Bruce Cassidy has seemed to deteriorate. The Edmonton native’s consistency and effort have been questioned by Cassidy and Bruins’ fans alike. 

DeBrusk, who has seven goals, eight assists and 15 points in 38 games this season, wants a trade. His request was made public at the end of November last year but in the meantime, while they look for a trade, he has remained in the lineup. There seems to be no rush for the Bruins to part with the young winger. Despite his recent decrease in production, they know that he’s still a talented player. 

There also might be some hesitation on the part of potential buyers due to the likely size of his next contract. He is in the final year of a two-year deal and will be a restricted free agent eligible for arbitration in the offseason. His current contract averages $3.675 million annually, but he received a base salary of $4.85 million in the second year — which is this season — of that deal. 

He is a player who could benefit greatly from a change in scenery. He could be compared to a young Michael Grabner, but not quite as fast. He’s tenacious and can play physically when he wants to. The Bruins and Islanders are both disciplined organizations who set high standards for talented players in all areas of the ice, and DeBrusk could benefit from that while getting a change in scenery that just might make the difference in his career.

Jake DeBrusk, asking for a trade is a middle-six shot-first forward who's seen his finishing, production, and ice time plummet in the past two seasons. A fresh start would probably be a good idea for all involved. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/cNjzXfFavo

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 29, 2021

Why Should the Islanders Trade For Jake DeBrusk?

At the beginning of the year, there was some concern about the Islanders’ back-end being weaker than in previous years. They lost Devon Toews (who currently has almost a point per game with the Colorado Avalanche) two years ago and Nick Leddy in the offseason. Zdeno Chara looked sloppy at the start of the season. Ryan Pulock got injured in November and played in his first game since the injury Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.

However, the Islanders’ defensemen have played well as of late. Robin Salo stepped into the lineup and impressed. Andy Greene has been fairly reliable and consistent. Chara has stepped up his game. Noah Dobson has broken out offensively and is playing with more confidence than ever. Adam Pelech is his usual shut-down self and Scott Mayfield has been solid. Ryan Pulock can always be trusted when healthy. So it would be reasonable to suggest, as many have during the Lamoriello-Trotz era, that the Isles should be in the market for more offense. Their defensemen are playing well and they certainly don’t need any more goalies. 

Anyone can play armchair GM and suggest potential trades that could be made, but we’ll leave that to the men and women in charge. The most important takeaway is the Islanders need offense, whether it comes from their own locker room or external additions. They lost Jordan Eberle to Seattle in the Expansion Draft and Kyle Palmieri has struggled to fill that void when healthy. Therefore, Jake DeBrusk is a talented young player with upside who could be a good trade target.

John Smark