Rumor mill: Jake DeBrusk could go to Alberta if the Bruins don’t sign him

Jake DeBrusk has already been unhappy in Boston. On several occasions, he asked to be traded, but in the end, he remained a member of the Bruins.

Over the past few years, things have gotten better for him and he seems to have rediscovered the pleasure of playing for this franchise. He’s an important forward for them, and I’m sure the team never wanted him to leave.

However, this scenario could come true at the end of the season. DeBrusk will become an unrestricted free agent and Pierre McGuire has linked him to the Oilers and Flames.

I guarantee that whether it’s Edmonton or Calgary, the province of Alberta will take good care of him. – Pierre McGuire.

Why is he so convinced? Because the forward hails from Edmonton and played his last junior season in Red Deer, Alberta.

The three years before that, he played with the Current Swift Broncos (Saskatchewan), a team not too far from his home province. The links are there, then. But will Boston let him go for nothing?

It’s a question worth asking, although it would be time or never for DeBrusk to leave a place he hasn’t always taken to heart.

In 47 games this season, the 27-year-old winger collected 25 points. He earns four million dollars until July 1.

McGuire used the contracts of Drake Batherson (six years, $29.8 million) and Travis Konecny (six years, $33 million) for comparison. He also pointed out that he could earn even more with the salary cap increase.

Chris Tanev in Ottawa… eventually?

Speaking of the Flames, they’re not having the season they’d hoped for. And before they think about 2024 free agents, they’ll have to think about their plan for the trade deadline.

Will they sell? They already sold Nikita Zadorov, who won’t be traded again, earlier this year.

Chris Tanev is another who could leave Calgary… and join another Canadian team. The Ottawa Senators.

Friedman on Chris Tanev/Sens (32TP): “They want to convince Chris Tanev they have a future there as a playoff team and he could be a very big part of it. So I don’t think they’re going to get him this year, but I don’t think they’ve given up on the idea of getting him.”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) January 29, 2024

However, as Elliotte Friedman points out, it may not be this year.

The tipster doesn’t believe the Sens have given up hope of signing him in two years.

Tanev is a 32-year-old right-handed defenseman earning $3.5 million until the end of next season. Ottawa would have to make a deal for him if the club wanted to acquire him this season or next. Will the team’s recent success prompt the GM to buy? We’ll see.

Note that Tanev has a partial no-trade clause. The Senators should have good arguments to attract him to town, so…