( Above Photo Credit:  Yahoo Sports  AP Photo/Charles Krupa )

By: Mark Allred            Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277

When Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney stepped to the National Hockey League Draft podium in Sunrise, Florida in June of 2015, it was clear the organization made significant moves of popular players in the years of expiring contracts to set themselves up with ten picks in the seven-round draft to replenish the developing depth in the minor league system. As a fan that’s watched B’s forward Jake DeBrusk’s progression since the B’s drafted him out of the Western Hockey League up to his first professional games this season in the NHL have honestly been a pleasure to watch regardless of popular opinion before he made his pro debut in Boston this season.

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After posting 24 points in 72 games in his first major-junior season in 2013-14 with the Swift Current Broncos who selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 WHL Bantam draft, he exploded offensively in his second season in the dub and seemingly caught serious attention of Bruins scouts when he went 42-39-81 in the 72 games season. After his third season which he spent the beginning with the Broncos and then split the season via trade to the 2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup Host Red Deer Rebels, he would finish the year contributing 21-44-65 in 61 games played. His Junior career would end in Red Deer with his services needed at the higher level and the first playing in the Bruins organization.

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DeBrusk ended his WHL career registering 185 points in 205 career games and after signing a three-year entry-level contract in November of 2015 and his hard work in Bruins development camps, rookie camps, and B’s main training camps it was time to move him up to the American Hockey League to play in his first professional season with the Providence Bruins. Although, his first pro season with the Baby B’s was clearly an adjustment period he did struggle with consistency with offensive numbers. In the first half of the 2016-17 AHL campaign the 6′-0″ 188-pound forward went 8-10-18 in his first 37 pro games to gain increased confidence offensively to go 11-20-31 in the second half of the season and finish second in scoring in the regular season with 49 points, five points behind team-leading Jordan Szwarz (54). The 21-year-old left winger was also an instrumental piece in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs helping his Providence team make an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. In those playoffs this spring he posted 6-3-9 numbers in 17 playoff games.

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In this 2017-18 season, the rugged prospect continues to make significant progress and has started his professional career on the right foot while making Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney and scouting staff look good. It didn’t take long for Bruins fans to see what type of player DeBruck could be when he notched his first goal in his first NHL game against the Nashville Predators at TD Garden. In 20 games so far the 2015 first round selection has 5-7-12 numbers and is currently on a season-high three-game point streak and looks to add to that with a 5 pm puck drop today at TD Garden in Boston when the visiting Connor McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers come to town.