Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced on Tuesday that the team has placed winger Jake DeBrusk on long-term injured reserve. DeBrusk suffered hand and lower-body injuries in the Bruins' 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 Winter Classic on Monday.
DeBrusk's recovery time is estimated to be four weeks. In coordination with the move, Boston recalled forward Chris Wagner from Providence.
The Bruins star recently scored both goals in the Winter Classic, including the game-winner with just 2:24 remaining in the contest. It marked the 27th game-winning goal of DeBrusk's career, as he became just the second Bruins player (David Pastrnak had a hat trick at Lake Tahoe in 2021), to record multiple goals in an outdoor game.
DeBrusk currently has 30 points (16 goals & 14 assists) in 36 games for the Bruins this season. Those 16 goals are second on the team behind only Pastrnak (25).
The injury comes at an especially poor time for DeBrusk, as he was enjoying one of the best seasons of his NHL career. His career-high point total (43) came during his rookie campaign in 2017-18 and, assuming he's able to return from the injury in the expected time period, DeBrusk should have no problem setting a new career-high.
The Bruins originally selected DeBrusk with the No. 14 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Since joining the franchise, DeBrusk has tallied 108 goals and 98 assists in 357 career NHL games while adding 30 points (18 goals & 12 assists) in 66 postseason contests.
