The New York Rangers are 8-7-1 after their first 16 games of the 2026-27 regular season. This is even more impressive given that they have been missing their star goaltender, Igor Shesterkin. They rank 19th in the NHL in goals for, which is why they could use Jake DeBrusk.
Heavy.com proposes a trade with the Vancouver Canucks to boost their goal-scoring.
New York Rangers Receive:
- Jake DeBrusk ($5.5 million, 5 years remaining)
Vancouver Canucks Receive:
- Braden Schneider ($5.5 million, final year)
In this trade proposal, the Rangers would send defender Braden Schneider to Vancouver for DeBrusk in a one-for-one deal. Both players make $5.5 million, so the Rangers would not gain money towards their salary cap.
DeBrusk is a 30-year-old, 6-foot-1, 198-pound forward who was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins. He has five goals and five assists in 15 games this season after coming off back-to-back 20-plus goal campaigns.
Going the other way is Schneider, a 25-year-old, 6-foot-3, 214-pound defender. The youngster has averaged 17:54 of ice time per game, with two assists in 16 games.
Jake DeBrusk & Braden Schneider Are Both Trade Bait
As far as trade discussions go, both DeBrusk and Schneider have been the subject of trade rumors.
The Fourth Period reports, “DeBrusk’s mindset hasn’t changed – he’d rather not be part of a rebuild. He owns a full no-movement clause, but is open to various destinations. He still has four more years left on his contract and is a controllable asset for a contender.”
On their trade board, DeBrusk was not linked to a specific team.
As far as Schneider goes, he and the Rangers were heading towards arbitration before signing his current $5.5 million, one-year contract. However, the truth of the matter is that he could use a change of scenery.
If you look at the Rangers roster, he is the obvious player to pick for a trade package to bolster another part of their lineup.
Why a DeBrusk-Schneider Trade Makes Sense For The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks
Now the question becomes, why would the Canucks trade a forward with term for a young defender who will become a free agent at the end of the year?
For both the Rangers and the Canucks, they take on a different set of risks with this trade.
For starters, the Rangers take on the risk of needing to execute more deals in order to solidify their playoff position. Also, acquiring a 30-year-old forward who has another four years left on their deal after this carries the risk that he won’t be with the Rangers when his contract expires.
On the flip side, the Canucks run the risk of going through the arbitration process with Schneider at the conclusion of this season.
Because of the risk involved with both clubs, one could argue that the trade proposal evens out as a result.
Regardless of the risk involved, this could be a deal that pays off for both clubs.
NY Rangers 1-For-1 Trade Pitch Lands Canucks $38 Million Goal Scorer