Report: Islanders could look to poach key Bruins forward
Plan B if they don't get Alex DeBrincat?
HockeyFeed
Scoring forward Alex DeBrincat remains perhaps the most-talked about player in the National Hockey League these days, as he's rejected a long term contact from the Ottawa Senators and has been linked to his hometown Detroit Red Wings for weeks now.
However, it appeared as though the New York Islanders suddenly emerged as a candidate to acquire DeBrincat, though their path to doing so would be considerably more difficult than Detroit, considering they have next to no remaining cap space with which to work.
And it sounds as though one particular Islanders writer is already looking ahead to a potential Plan B should the Red Wings emerge victorious in the DeBrincat sweepstakes. Author Edward Fantucchio of NYI Hockey Now has suggested looking to a different Atlantic Division opponent to swing a deal with: the Boston Bruins.
He's proposing that the Islanders could package both Jean-Gabriel Pageau and restricted free agent Oliver Wahlstrom in a deal to Boston in exchange for Jake DeBrusk.
"DeBrusk, who will turn 27 towards the start of next season, is entering the last year of his current contract with a $4 million cap hit. Last season, the winger posted a career-high 50 points with 27 goals while playing in 64 games for the Bruins. Slide him on the left side of Bo Horvat and fellow former 2015 first-round draft pick Mathew Barzal on the top line, and DeBrusk becomes the goal-scoring threat the Islanders are looking for."
"A couple of years ago, DeBrusk did request a trade from the Bruins while Bruce Cassidy was still the head coach in Boston. He rescinded that request last season under new Bruins bench boss Jim Montgomery, and there’s no indication he’s interested in leaving now. However, given how thin Boston’s depth is down the middle, the idea of this trade should at least be on the table."
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