DeBrusk was an effective player against the Maple Leafs during their first-round playoff series victory in May.
Could the Toronto Maple Leafs be looking for to acquire one of the playoff adversaries?
In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos says the Leafs could be looking to acquire pending unrestricted free agent forward Jake DeBrusk.
"There's word they may have interest in pending (Boston) Bruins free agent Jake DeBrusk, who's been a Leafs playoff killer over the years," Kypreos wrote.
The 27-year-old forward had 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games with the Bruins last season. His production increased during the 2024 postseason where he recorded 11 points in 13 playoff games. The left winger is more of a middle-six option that could fit in well with the Maple Leafs, but it's a matter of how much he'd be asking and who Toronto can retain among their pending unrestricted free-agent forwards.
Leafs fans will remember DeBrusk's playoff performances for the Bruins beyond the 2024 playoffs. He took part in both the 2018 and 2019 series and he drew a retaliatory cross check from then Leafs forward Nazem Kadri, who was ejected and later suspended.
The Leafs are still trying to work on new deals for free agent forwards Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, who fit in well in Toronto in their first seasons in the blue and white.
DeBrusk is coming off a contract that paid him $4 million annually. According to AFP Analytics, DeBrusk projects to earn as much as $5.82 million per season with a term of five years. Toronto has just under $20 million to work with in their cap with plenty of players left to sign and fill out their roster. The player's age and playoff contribution would make him an attractive target for Toronto. But there's still a lot to figure out with the other team's priorities between now and July 1 when free agency opens.
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