Just a year ago, the top thing on Jake DeBrusk’s mind was a change of scenery.
Whether it be his dwindling minutes in the Boston Bruins’ top-six unit or his prickly relationship with Bruce Cassidy, DeBrusk’s standing trade request dominated most headlines surrounding the downtrodden winger during the 2021-22 season.
Once a flicking spark of hope in an otherwise dim prospect pipeline, DeBrusk went from potential 30-goal scorer to an expected trade cast-off — a disappointing conclusion for a young forward who skated onto the scene with so much promise.
But a lot has happened in the ensuing months.