Jake DeBrusk Breaks Silence on Leaving Bruins in Free Agency…
A Heartfelt Farewell from Jake DeBrusk to Bruins Fans
Dear Bruins Fans,
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Thank you to all of the people that I got to meet and had the pleasure of getting to know throughout my last 7 years in the black and gold. There will always be a place in my heart for Boston and that’s because of my teammates that I went to battle with and the fans who were with me from the start! In saying all that I am extremely excited to start this new chapter in my career and to be in Vancouver and to put on that Canucks jersey! #itsshowtime #cheers
Warmest Regards, Jake DeBrusk
On July 1, Jake DeBrusk, a long-time member of the Boston Bruins, signed with the Vancouver Canucks as an unrestricted free agent. Two days after his move from Massachusetts to British Columbia, DeBrusk shared a heartfelt message to Bruins fans on his social media, expressing his gratitude and bidding farewell to both the fans and the team.
Drafted 14th overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL draft, DeBrusk played 465 games, scoring 138 goals and assisting on 128 for a total of 266 points. He signed with the Canucks on July 1 after becoming an unrestricted free agent following the completion of his contract with the Bruins. In the 2024 season, DeBrusk scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 regular-season games and added 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 13 postseason games.
Despite not being the top player entering free agency, with stars like Jake Guentzel, Steven Stamkos, and Elias Lindholm available, DeBrusk was the primary target for the Canucks, as reported by Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Vancouver never attempted to trade for Guentzel’s signing rights, preferring the younger and more affordable DeBrusk to enhance their top-six forward group.
DeBrusk’s seven-year contract with the Canucks is worth $38.5 million, with an annual cap hit of $5.5 million, extending through the 2030-31 season.
Bruins Sign Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov
While the Bruins lost DeBrusk, they made significant additions by signing former Canucks center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov. The Bruins secured Lindholm with a seven-year, $54.2 million contract, the largest deal of the 2024 offseason, with an annual average value (AAV) of $7.75 million. This contract is second only to Steven Stamkos’ $8 million AAV with the Nashville Predators.
In addition to Lindholm, the Bruins signed Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million deal, with a $5 million annual cap hit. Zadorov, who has been compared to Bruins’ legendary defenseman Zdeno Chara, emphasized in a Zoom call on July 2 that he should not be called “Big Z,” out of respect for Chara.
These signings mark a new chapter for both the Bruins and the Canucks as they head into the upcoming NHL season with revamped rosters.
