Getty The Toronto Maple Leafs have interest in Jake DeBrusk.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a mutual interest with pending free agent forward Jake DeBrusk.
DeBrusk is set to be a pending unrestricted free agent after completing his two-year $8 million deal with the Boston Bruins. Former NHL player and Toronto Star columnist Nick Kypreos reported in his column on June 19, that Toronto has interest in signing DeBrusk.
“There’s word they may have interest in pending Bruins free agent Jake DeBrusk, who’s been a Leafs playoff killer over the years,” Kypreos wrote.
Following Kypreos’ report, Nick Alberga of The Nation Network reported that the interest in DeBrusk is mutual as the forward is interested in joining the Maple Leafs in free agency.
“Furthermore, I heard over the weekend that there’s actually mutual interest between the Leafs & Jake DeBrusk,” Alberga wrote.
DailyFaceoff.com projects DeBrusk to land a five-year deal worth $6 million per season.
Last season with the Bruins, DeBrusk recorded 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 80 games. DeBrusk has been known to be a Leaf killer as in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he had 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points against Toronto. In his career, DeBrusk has 6 goals and 5 assists in 17 career games against the Maple Leafs.
DeBrusk ‘Looking Forward’ to Getting a Deal Done
DeBrusk will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career come July 1.
Entering free agency, DeBrusk knows there is a business side of hockey, but the forward says he’s just looking forward to getting a deal done.
“I understand that business is business,” DeBrusk said, via NHL.com. “I’ve been here for a while. I’ve seen [a lot] of deals get done with guys and things, so I kind of understand, I guess, what their side is and how they usually operate. So I wasn’t necessarily completely surprised, but I thought it’d be done and things would all work out earlier, I guess. But in saying that, getting to this year was really stressful on me and it took a lot, so I’m just looking forward to getting away, to be honest.”
DeBrusk has been with the Bruins since Boston selected him 14th overall in the 2015 NHL draft. However, he didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2017-18 season but has been a full-time player since then.
DeBrusk has also had his struggles with the Bruins, as the forward publicly asked for a trade out of Boston on November 29, 2021. No deal was ever made and in July of 2022, DeBrusk rescinded his request.
Maple Leafs Front Office Open to Changes
Toronto was eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Maple Leafs’ front office says they will consider everything this summer.
Since the season ended, Toronto has been rumored in trade talks involving both Mitch Marner and John Tavares. Both would need to waive their no-movement clause, so whether or not either of them will be dealt is to be seen.
The Maple Leafs enter the offseason with just over $18 million in cap space. However, Toronto has plenty of key free agents like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Joel Edmundson, and RFA’s Timothy Liljegren and Nicholas Robertson.
Free agency is set to begin on July 1.