After Quite A Lengthy Wait, The B's Finally Signed Forward Jake DeBrusk To A Two-Year Contract

 

    NHL free agency officially opened a month and a half ago so you are not alone if you basically forgot that winger Jake DeBrusk (a restricted free agent) was still sitting around waiting for the Bruins to hit him up with a contract offer. Naturally, on a sleepy Monday night a few days before Thanksgiving, B's GM Don Sweeney & Co. got it done as they signed DeBrusk to a two-year deal worth $7.35 million. It has to be a relief for Jake after he saw literally hundreds of players from around the league get paid recently while he and his agent patiently bided their time waiting for Boston to make a decision. 

    In many ways, this was an easy move for the Bruins since DeBrusk represents one of their few young forwards who has really shown anything positive lately at the NHL level. He was the middle pick of Boston's infamous three first round selections in the 2015 Draft. Sandwiched around DeBrusk at No. 14 were defenseman Jakub Zboril at No. 13 and right wing Zach Senyshyn. Haha who? Only hardcore Bruins or hockey fans know who those other two guys are since neither has made any kind of impact yet for the B's and they've mostly been stuck wasting away in Providence. 

    Jake just wrapped up his third full season with the Bruins and he's been consistently productive from his rookie year until now. He's scored at least 16 goals and had at least 16 assists in all three seasons. He's also been relatively durable-and almost always worthy of a lineup spot-since he played 70 games in 2017-18, 68 games the following season and 65 in this past Covid-19 shortened schedule. After recording 27 assists in his rookie campaign and 27 goals in his second season, I think that many were understandably a bit disappointed that his game didn't take any noticeable leap in 2019-20 but rather it felt stuck in neutral. 

    His plus/minus has also plummeted from plus-13 in his first year, to plus-two then minus-one. For most of his brief Bruins career, David Krejci has centered DeBrusk on the second line with a revolving door of nobodies at right wing. That's not an excuse for the dip in his numbers but a statement of fact. When you watch Jake over a full season including the playoffs, you see more than a few glimpses of some outstanding tools: game-breaking pace, great hands to get around defensemen and goaltenders in small areas not to mention the clutch plays that he often makes. He's been on the Bruins' second power play unit for much of the last two seasons and he has potted eight goals and seven goals there respectively. He also put up 14 game-winning goals (in the regular season) between his first three years which is nothing to sneeze at.

    The bubble playoffs were not his friend though as he was mostly shut down to the tune of only four points (all goals) in 13 games. That paled in comparison to his rookie season when Boston where he notched six goals and two assists in only 12 games or the next season where they went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and he had four goals and seven assists. He's definitely an X-factor kind of guy and like most teams, the Bruins are always in need of some secondary scoring from DeBrusk as well as many others besides the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

    If you've ever watched Behind The B (NESN's underrated behind the scenes show about the Bruins) or you've caught some of his hilarious post-game interviews, you know that Jake is a character to say the least. Having grown up around the NHL (his dad Louie was a long-time enforcer), he has a great sense of humor-witness the mullet that he has sported for long stretches-and being Canadian the typical down-to-Earth, relatable nature. Playing here generally doesn't bring the same insane pressure as a Toronto or Montreal but for an American market, it's still pretty tough. I wouldn't worry too much though about that being a factor for DeBrusk since he seems well equipped to handling the ups and downs of a professional sports career. With the right attention to details-like getting stronger for puck battles in the corners and better touch around the net-he has the ability to be a 30-goal scorer in the near future. It took way too long to get this done but I think we can all agree that this was a good day for the Bruins.

For Once, NESN Makes A Good Hire In Terms Of An Ex-Red Sox Player To Work In Studio

If we're being real, NESN's pre and post-game coverage of Red Sox games isn't exactly appointment viewing. There are two criteria I use to decide if I'll watch on a given day or night: 1) what ex-player is sitting in and 2) was it an exciting/interesting game?

I won't pat the Watertown cable channel too hard on the back, since these are the same bozos that have hired stiffs like Jim Rice and Matt Stairs, but I will give them credit for making a good decision for once: today, they announced ex-pitcher Tim Wakefield will join the network starting tomorrow night.

Wake's first appearance will take place before Boston's game against Seattle at Safeco Field (10:10 p.m.), the third game of a four-game series. This time at least, he'll be paired with Tom Caron (a pro) and Rice (haha oh God).

From NESN.com
"Tim Wakefield has been an integral part of the fabric of the Red Sox and the New England community for the past 17 years," said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. "We are extremely happy to add Tim to our all-star lineup of studio analysts and believe that he will bring a unique perspective to our coverage with his knowledge of the team and the rest of the league."

Wakefield retired at the end of last season after a 19-year MLB career, spending 17 years as a popular member of the Red Sox (1995-2012). He ended his career with 200 wins, 186 of them with the Red Sox, which ranks third behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens on the Red Sox all-time career win list. He was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1995, an All-Star in 2009, and a two time World Series Champion.

He was also a champion off the field as one of the most charitable players in the league. He was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, and honored as the 2010 recipient of this prestigious award. His partnership with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston allowed him to spend time with patients. He has also been active with New England's Pitching in for Kids organization, the Touch 'Em All Foundation and the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, Fla.

Every time the knuckleballer talked to the media in his playing days, he was thoughtful, well spoken and he came across as a normal guy you'd like to have a beer with. That's a good sign although it's not a slam dunk that he'll be able to bring anything to the table when he gets paid simply to talk and give his opinions. What makes a good analyst (cough Dennis Eckersley) is pretty simple: don't protect any players, managers, front office, etc. Tell it like it is, that's all fans want to hear. Don't talk wistfully too much about your playing days and please don't use too many cliches because then you are useless (Rice).

I think I speak for everyone when I say goodluck Wake, we know (fingers crossed) that you'll be an upgrade on Rice and Matt Stairs. I'm also going to guess that he'll be better than Jim Corsi. Haha remember him?

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Don't Worry Red Sox Fans, Don Orsillo Is Here Through 2015

The Boston Red Sox don't have a manager, they lack a closer and they haven't even finalized the stupid compensation for Theo Epstein going to the Cubs after what seems like years.

Never fear though because I have good news: NESN's Don Orsillo will be back through 2015 as he just signed a contract extension to stay with the home of the Red Sox.

It's easy to make fun of this move since the team and front office is nothing short of a mess right now, coming off one of the biggest disasters in franchise history. Still, I'm totally in favor of this move to bring back Orsillo, the more than capable announcer.

It took the Rhode Island native and current resident some time to get his feet wet but by now, his chemistry with the sometimes insufferable (and miserable) Jerry Remy is outstanding. These two guys help to make the usually long and mostly boring games much more bearable with their affability, sense of humor and at least in Orsillo's case, he doesn't appear to take himself too seriously.

In other NESN rumors, there's been talk of "reporter" Heidi Watney taking her um talents elsewhere since her contract expires at the end of November but so far, no real news on that front. Let's hope that Heidi stays with NESN since she's easily one of the highlights of the broadcasts every night, no matter who the Red Sox are playing or in some cases, how they're doing.

In other Red Sox related news, it has been reported today by multiple outlets that Terry Francona won't manage in 2012. Instead, look for him to be an announcer or analyst on Fox, ESPN or MLB Network. Good for Tito, take a step back from the grind of being an MLB manager and this gives him time to catch his breath.

Update: I was wrong, Heidi is gone. She's going back to Cali (get it?) to be the Lakers sideline reporter in 2012-13. That's a worthy job and probably one of the few sideline gigs that's even more renown than the Red Sox. Bye Heidi, we'll miss you!

Follow @RichSlate


Tweet