Jake DeBrusk is available, and the word out of Vancouver today is that he is not waiting around for a rebuild.
David Pagnotta of Oilersnation Everyday reported on June 19 that DeBrusk is open to almost any contending-type scenario, a signal that a move is coming.
That is not a subtle message. That is a winger telling the world he does not want to be part of what is happening in Vancouver right now.
And honestly, who could blame him? The Canucks finished 25-49-8 this season, dead last in the entire NHL at 32nd overall.
David Pagnotta: Re Jake DeBrusk rumours/Canucks: The sense that I've gotten is that he's open to almost any contending type scenario.
They were outscored by 100 goals on the season. That is not a team in transition. That is a team that got dismantled.
DeBrusk is 29, on a $5.5 million cap hit, and just posted 23 goals and 42 points in 81 games. He went minus-31 on the year.
DeBrusk's numbers are good enough for a contender's top six
That minus-31 rating is pure team damage, not player damage. He scored 7 goals in his last 10 games and 4 goals in his final 5. He was producing until the final buzzer on a team that had long stopped caring.
He also had 19 power play goals this season. Nineteen. On a team that scored 216 goals total.
Any contender in the market for top-six wing help with a power play edge should have already called Ryan Johnson's front office. The market for this type of player at that price does not stay quiet for long.
Think of it this way: DeBrusk on a good team's second line is like putting a sharp blade on a handle that actually works. The tool was never the problem in Vancouver.
The list of contenders is long this summer. Colorado finished first overall at 121 points. Carolina, Dallas, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Minnesota all cleared 100 points.
Every one of those teams could use a winger who scores on the power play and plays a full 82 games. Not all of them will call. But several should.
The Canucks under head coach Manny Malhotra are clearly entering a new phase, and DeBrusk's contract is one of the more moveable pieces they have.
Whether Vancouver gets real value back or moves him just to get out from under a player who wants out, that part is still unresolved.
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The ask from Vancouver's side will tell you everything about how serious this rebuild really is.
Should DeBrusk demand a trade to a contender this summer?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Two American-born players demand a trade from their longtime original team: What it means for Cole Caufield
