The Vancouver Canucks made a significant long-term commitment to Jake DeBrusk when they signed him to a seven-year contract in 2024. The team was also in a stronger position coming off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, where it finished one win short of the Western Conference Final.
That context has changed substantially over the past two seasons. Locker-room turbulence, major trades, and coaching and management turnover have left Vancouver in flux, with DeBrusk positioned at the center of the transition.
DeBrusk could be involved in a trade, as his name has appeared in recent rumors. He previously said he did not want to participate in a rebuild, although he quickly clarified those remarks.
DeBrusk has maintained that position during the offseason. “What I said, that quote, gets a lot of attention,” he told Sportsnet earlier this week. “But nobody remembers what I said the next day when I clarified it. It was an emotional time in the middle of a really hard season. I wish I’d thought about it a little more when I was asked about the rebuild, but that’s on me.
“I want to say this on the record: I have not asked for a trade. There are all kinds of crazy things out there sometimes, but I haven’t talked to anyone about that. I signed in Vancouver for a reason. I wanted to help them win, and I still think I can help them.
With those comments providing additional clarity, DeBrusk appears likely to remain a Canuck and join the veteran leadership group guiding the team through its rebuild. Here is a look at his projected role and production for 2026-27.
Reviewing DeBrusk’s 2025-26 Season
DeBrusk has always been a streaky scorer, a trait that has been evident with both the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. His career with the Canucks has included extended scoring runs followed by equally prolonged droughts. Through 163 games, 33 of his 51 goals have come on the power play, leaving him with 18 even-strength goals.
During the 2025-26 season, DeBrusk set a career high with 19 power-play goals and scored four even-strength goals, close to his career low of three set during the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Much of his production arrived late in the year, when he went on a 13-game scoring streak and recorded 10 of his 23 goals in March and April. He also scored six goals in nine games in November and three in four games in January.
Equally notable were his scoring droughts, including a stretch without a goal for 12 games and another in which he managed only two goals over 26 games. That pattern of prolonged surges and extended dry spells has characterized DeBrusk’s career for nearly its entire duration.
Expected Role for 2026-27
DeBrusk is expected to begin the season on a top line featuring Elias Pettersson. His established power-play ability also makes a role on Vancouver’s first power-play unit highly likely. The ideal outcome would be more consistent scoring throughout the schedule rather than alternating between hot and cold stretches, although changing that long-standing pattern could prove difficult.
Even if his scoring remains uneven, DeBrusk needs to contribute more at even strength. Power-play production is valuable, but it cannot remain the foundation of his offense. That specialization became prominent only after he joined Vancouver; before the 2024-25 season, he had never scored 10 power-play goals in a campaign. His previous high was eight in 2018-19, and he averaged four over seven seasons with Boston.
Beyond his on-ice production, DeBrusk will be expected to serve as a veteran voice and one of the prominent members of Vancouver’s leadership group. Wearing an “A” would not be surprising if he remains fully committed to the Canucks’ direction.
His recent comments also suggest that he is unlikely to create further disruption by requesting a trade, which would be especially unwelcome given the organizational changes Vancouver has experienced over the past two seasons.
2026-27 Projections
DeBrusk has generally fallen within the 20-25-goal range during his career, reaching at least 20 goals in five of his nine NHL seasons. Returning to that range appears likely, particularly after finishing just three goals short of 25 in 2025-26. A total of 45-50 points is also a reasonable projection, given that 46 has been his career average over 82 games.
Potential Career Milestones
- 700 games (628) earliest: March 14 at Ottawa Senators
- 200 goals (189)
- 400 points (356)
*Current totals are shown in brackets
Additional 2026-27 Player Projections
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