The season that was for the Vancouver Canucks was nothing short of a complete nightmare, as they didn’t come anywhere close to a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and also made several meaningful changes over the course of the campaign as well as immediately afterward.
There was no more high profile move than the trade of captain and former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, bringing an end to the era of the best defenseman in club history. Additionally, the Canucks traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks, Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars.
While Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk were heavily involved in trade rumors, they were ultimately not traded by now-ex GM Patrik Allvin, who has since been replaced by former Canucks forward Ryan Johnson. Johnson, who has already dismissed head coach Adam Foote and hired Manny Malhotra in his place, could be considering a trade of DeBrusk at some point in the offseason.
Multiple Landing Spots Have Been Listed For Vancouver Canucks Forward Jake DeBrusk
According to Trevor Beggs of Daily Hive, there are multiple potential landing spots for DeBrusk, including the divisional rival Vancouver Canucks.
Beggs also lists the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders as potential landing spots for DeBrusk.
As far as why DeBrusk could fit in Columbus, Beggs not only lists the previous acquisition of Garland but also the chance of their power-play being elevated.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets are another young team trying to get over the hump, and there’s a potential fit for DeBrusk to join them,” Beggs wrote.
“Columbus’ two-highest-paid forwards, Charlie Coyle and Conor Garland, are both former teammates of DeBrusk. They were also bottom-10 in expected goals-for at five-on-four. DeBrusk could elevate their power play.”
Additionally, as far as the Avalanche are concerned, Beggs sees a DeBrusk fit as “clear”.
“The fit for DeBrusk in Colorado is clear,” he wrote. “Despite having Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on their roster, the Colorado Avalanche’s power play was pitiful this season. Their 17 per cent efficiency ranked 27th overall in the NHL, while their 25th-ranked expected goals-for percentage suggested their subpar power play wasn’t just a fluke.”
Finally, he listed a family connection as to why DeBrusk could potentially fit with the rival Oilers.
“Not only was DeBrusk born in Edmonton, but his dad, Louie, is colour commentator on Oilers broadcasts for Sportsnet,” Beggs wrote. “Edmonton could clearly use another top-six winger, although it’s fair to question if they could fully utilize DeBrusk’s power play abilities. Zach Hyman holds the DeBrusk role on Edmonton’s power play, and he’s done a marvelous job there since joining the Oilers.”
Jake DeBrusk Signed With The Canucks In 2024
After several years with the Boston Bruins, DeBrusk signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract to join the Canucks in the summer of 2024 with a reasonable salary cap hit of $5.5 million.
So far during his tenure with the Canucks, he’s appeared in 163 games and has scored 51 goals with 39 assists.
Multiple Landing Spots Named For $38.5M Canucks Forward