Boston Bruins: 3 players who need to step up in 2021-22 NHL season

Boston Bruins who need to step up: Jake DeBrusk

Last year was a tough go for Jake DeBrusk in Boston. He never really got going, was in and out of Bruce Cassidy’s doghouse, and ended the year admitting that his haters had gotten to him. And truth be told, his haters had good reason to be agitated with his play.

After scoring 19, 27, and 16 goals in his first three seasons, DeBrusk managed only 5 goals in 41 games in 2020-21. After being a player known for streaky scoring in his first three seasons, DeBrusk was known for long streaks of not scoring this past year.

This offseason, the Bruins went out and signed a number of veteran third and fourth line players in an effort to revamp what has become a little bit of a black hole at the bottom of the B’s lineup. That means that DeBrusk is going to have to truly earn his playing time, as there will be pressure in the form of healthy scratches itching to steal his minutes.

We know that DeBrusk can score, and we know that he can skate. You don’t score 27 goals in your second season in the league by accident. But what he needs to do is finally become a consistent contributor. If he doesn’t, he may quickly find his way out of the lineup and onto the 9th floor.

Even though the third and fourth lines have undergone a makeover, there’s still a home for DeBrusk to provide meaningful production. Even if he can’t match his 27 goals from 2018, surely he can find a way to score 15 and add 15-20 assists, which would do magical things for this Boston Bruins team.

But will DeBrusk be able to do it? That’s where he needs to step up. Scoring in the NHL isn’t easy, which he found out the hard way last year. Can he find ways to contribute when his shots aren’t finding the back of the net? It could be with a key assist, a shot block, or a drawn penalty, but the Boston Bruins are going to need more from Jake DeBrusk this season, or he may be on his way out of town.