Ah, the dog days of summer...

A time to throw on some swimming attire, soak up the sun, and speculate about potential player movement across the NHL.

For those who can't entirely turn off our hockey obsessions, late July and August are the portions of the calendar when our minds wonder the most. Without actual hockey to absorb, we allow our minds to consume never-ending streams of rumors and speculation that rarely translate into anything of substance. Every team has one or two players "on the way out," and somebody is willing to provide at least a handful of reasons why.

For the Bruins, that player is 26-year-old winger Jake DeBrusk. Of course, conversations around potentially trading DeBrusk aren't new. Since his trade request in November of 2021, Debrusk's name always finds its way into the rumor mill, even though that request was rescinded.

When we were playing the trade speculation game in November 2021, potential deals were of the "sell low" variety. Now, with a pair of 25-plus goals season under DeBrusk's belt, we are looking at a completely difference set of circumstances. DeBrusk is no longer a young player struggling to find his footing in the NHL. Instead, he is an established top-six forward who likely would have had north of 35 goals last season if he didn't have to miss time with a fractured fibula. If Boston were willing to entertain the idea of trading DeBrusk, they would be looking for substantial pieces, whether players or draft capital, in return.

Now if you read the latest "rumors" surrounding a DeBrusk trade, they sound more like someone kicking around ideas for others to ponder. However, that doesn't mean there's at least some smoke surrounding DeBrusk and a trade. If you look strictly at his contract situation, entering the last year of his current contract, he is the perfect candidate for speculation and rumors. Tie in the fact that exploring the open market appears appealing to a player such as DeBrusk, and you've got a situation where trade chatter is not disappearing any time soon.

The discussion surrounding whether the Bruins should trade DeBrusk comes with a clear answer. Boston should send him elsewhere if the two sides cannot agree on a reasonable extension for all parties. Of course, determining whether that is possible may take time. Still, if an agreement isn't in place before the upcoming season's trade deadline, the Bruins will look to receive a respectable return for DeBrusk, instead of losing him for nothing. I believe this to be true, regardless of where Boston sits in the standings.

Ideally, Boston would like to lock up DeBrusk long-term. As they look to transition to a new core and open up another window of contention, DeBrusk is the perfect in-house option to reside in one of those top-six winger spots. At the same time, DeBrusk doesn't seem like a player the Bruins are willing to break the bank to retain. Will they have to pay him more than the $4 million he is currently making? Well, yes, but it's unclear how much more they'd be willing to pay when they must address areas such as the top-line center next summer. On the flip side, DeBrusk may find himself in a situation where he could retrieve more money on the open market, especially if he continues his upward trajectory this season.

The fact of the matter is that trade speculation surrounding DeBrusk, and the Bruins isn't going anywhere. For now, however, I'd take the rumors around specific deals with a grain of salt.

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