It cannot be said that it was as black and white as 'Cassidy vs. DeBrusk,' but the fact that DeBrusk rescinded his trade request -- submitted some time at the start of 2021-22 -- shortly after Cassidy's dismissal suggests that was a huge reason behind his decision. However, Cassidy maintains that his relationship with all of his players remain positive, and today DeBrusk shared his reasons for pulling his request:
DeBrusk did not name Cassidy as the reason why, but if you read between the lines it is clear that the two sides were not on great terms. It is the tactic of many of history's best coaches to create a 'me vs. them' environment as a method of bringing players together. Alluding to DeBrusk's comments saying his teammates' support influenced his decision, it is not outright apparent that Cassidy was the reason behind DeBrusk's dissatisfaction.
That said, the two sides clearly were not a great match, and Cassidy's dismissal accompanied by the timing of DeBrusk's rescission is hardly coincidence. Both of them are likely being coy on hit microphones to keep things cordial. But we all know what is really happening behind the scenes.
POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 13 | 124 ANSWERS Bruins Jake Debrusk Reveals Why He Rescinded Trade Request Was Cassidy the reason for DeBrusk's trade request? | ||
Yes | 74 | 59.7 % |
No | 50 | 40.3 % |
LIST OF POLLS |
G | A | PTS | ||
Patrick Maroon | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Lukas Reichel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Travis Konecny | - | 2 | 2 | |
Noah Cates | 1 | - | 1 | |
Sean Couturier | 1 | - | 1 | |
Marcus Johansson | 1 | - | 1 | |
Matvei Michkov | 1 | - | 1 | |
Kevin Rooney | 1 | - | 1 | |
Matthew Boldy | - | 1 | 1 | |
Bobby Brink | - | 1 | 1 | |
Tyson Foerster | - | 1 | 1 | |
Justin Kirkland | - | 1 | 1 | |
Daniil Miromanov | - | 1 | 1 | |
Connor Murphy | - | 1 | 1 | |
Rasmus Ristolainen | - | 1 | 1 | |
Travis Sanheim | - | 1 | 1 | |
Craig Smith | - | 1 | 1 | |
Nolan Allan | - | - | - | |
Joey Anderson | - | - | - | |
Michael Anderson | - | - | - | |
Complete stats |
STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
Conference | Cumulative |