Jake DeBrusk's future in the NHL is a topic of much speculation, with multiple teams showing interest in acquiring the 27-year-old forward. DeBrusk's time with the Vancouver Canucks has been less than stellar, as he has struggled to find his footing and the team has failed to live up to expectations. This has led to trade rumors swirling around DeBrusk since before the trade deadline in March.
The interest in DeBrusk is understandable, given his contract situation. He is just two years into a seven-year, $38.5MM contract, and teams are confident that he can bounce back from a tough year. DeBrusk had 23 goals and 19 assists in 81 games this season, with 19 of his goals coming on the man advantage. While this is a strong power play producer, it is a cause for concern that only four of his goals came at even strength, especially given his $5.5MM salary.
However, this is not a pattern in DeBrusk's career. In his time with the Boston Bruins, he never had more than eight power play markers in a single season, and nearly 77% of his goals came at even strength. This suggests that DeBrusk can be a reasonable producer at five-on-five with a new team and a fresh start.
The Ottawa Senators are one of the teams rumored to be interested in DeBrusk. They have ample cap flexibility, with more than $16MM in cap room, and their power play was above league average this season, ranking eighth overall with a success rate just under 24%. This means that DeBrusk would be joining an environment where he might not be counted on quite as much as he has been with the Canucks.
The Canucks are likely to undergo a partial or full rebuild, given their poor performance this season. DeBrusk, who has a full no-move clause through next season, holds a lot of the cards in this situation. If he feels that a change of scenery would be beneficial, this might be the summer to pursue a trade in a market that is expected to be more robust than it has been in recent years.
In my opinion, DeBrusk is a player worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks. He has the potential to be a valuable asset to any team, and his contract situation provides an opportunity for a fresh start. It will be interesting to see where he ends up and whether he can bounce back to his former glory.
