Bruins taking “aggressive” approach to Jake DeBrusk

Despite rebounding from last season's shocking Round 1 loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a thrilling victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins were unable to advance further, and were once again felled by the Florida Panthers. 

The Panthers are on their way to the Eastern Conference Final for a second consecutive season, while the offseason for the Bruins has officially arrived. And as is the nature of professional sports working within the confines of a salary cap, next year's edition of the Bruins roster will not be the same as the group that skated off the TD Garden ice in defeat earlier this month. 

One of the top free agents-to-be on the Bruins roster is forward Jake DeBrusk, who had actually requested a trade from the Bruins earlier in his career before changing his mind and agreeing to a two-year extension. But that contract is set to expire, and there's a very real possibility that he's played his last game with the franchise. 

According to general manager Don Sweeney, the team has taken an "aggressive" approach to negotiations with DeBrusk:

“Negotiation is a two-way street. We took an aggressive position with Jake,” Sweeney said. “Do I see a path? Yeah, there’s a path. ... He’s been a big part of our group. He elevated the playoffs. I would prefer to have Jake as part of our team. But he has an opportunity in front of him that he may pursue otherwise.”

This most recent season, DeBrusk scored 19 goals with 21 assists in 80 games played, while also contributing five goals and six assists in 13 postseason games. 

What exactly does the future hold for DeBrusk with the Bruins - will he run it back, or will he be playing elsewhere when teams return to the ice in the fall? 

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