It was an awful season for the Vancouver Canucks, who came nowhere close to claiming a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and were the lowest ranked team in their respective division.
The club also made several major, and quite frankly, difficult changes during the season, not the least of which was the trade of captain and former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. They also traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks, Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars. While forward Elias Pettersson was included heavily in trade rumors, he ultimately remained in place.
The Canucks could still be considering player personnel moves during the summer, and according to a pair of noted NHL Insiders, it could include one of their key free agent signings from 2023.
Vancouver Canucks Forward Jake DeBrusk Is Being Linked To The New York Rangers
According to a recent report from NHL Insiders Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the New York Rangers could be in the market for Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk.
“As Johnston said in his trade board article, DeBrusk doesn’t fit the mold of a player a rebuilding team needs. He has a full no-movement clause, so he could nix a deal to New York. But if he’s interested, he could offer a middle-six upgrade with scoring ability. He scored at least 23 goals in four of the past five seasons.”
Following his first several years of his NHL career that were spent with the Boston Bruins, DeBrusk signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Canucks in the summer of 2024, moving to the opposite coast of the continent.
In his first season with the Canucks, he reached a career-high 28 goals, but was unable to help the club reach the playoffs. The year prior, the Canucks reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinal before eventually bowing out against the rival Edmonton Oilers.
His stats dwindled in his second season, which was an overall rough experience for all involved. He scored 23 goals with 19 assists; so far in his NHL career spent with Boston and Vancouver, he’s scored a total of 189 goals with 167 assists.
As far as his play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is concerned, DeBrusk has scored 27 goals with 20 assists in 86 career games. He’s still waiting for his first playoff appearance with the Canucks, though if he’s moved, it will have to be with a different team.
The Canucks Made Several Leadership Changes Following The Season
The Canucks made changes at the executive level following the season, dismissing general manager Patrik Allvin, who made all of the aforementioned deals. Arriving in town as the new general manager is Ryan Johnson, a former Canucks forward; both Daniel and Henrik Sedin also are back with the organization in executive leadership roles.
His first major decision was to terminate head coach Adam Foote after only a single season on the job, and hire another former Canucks forward, Manny Malhotra in his place.
Malhotra was behind the bench for the American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks and their recent run to the Calder Cup championship last spring.
Could Canucks Forward Jake DeBrusk Go Back To The East Coast?