Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk requested a trade from the team a few years back. It inherently created some tension as rumors about his future swirled relentlessly. At the end of the day, though, cooler heads prevailed. DeBrusk rescinded his trade request, and he signed a two-year contract extension in March 2021.

However, that contract is about to expire. DeBrusk is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-24 NHL season. This time, though, it seems like there won't be any desire from either side to move on.

“We're going to have communication with Jake and his representation, and we'd like to know if Jake indeed does want to be here and hopefully we can find common ground,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said, via NHL.com. “We'd like to see Jake remain with the Bruins.”

DeBrusk, like many Bruins players, is coming off a career season. The Edmonton native scored 27 goals and 50 points in 64 games. His contributions helped the team set new NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) in a single regular season.

“Jake deserves a lot of credit,” Sweeney continued, via NHL.com. “He just went out and performed and was on pace for a really good year and had a really good year. Even more, he battled through a couple of different injuries and came back and played well again.”

DeBrusk certainly hopes to build upon his career year in the season ahead. He and the Bruins begin their 2023-24 NHL season at home on October 11. Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks come to town that night just one day after opening their season on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.