The Vancouver Canucks signed Jake Debrusk to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract on the first day of free agency. Debrusk has been a member of the Boston Bruins for his entire career and has experienced plenty of success, but it wasn't always smooth sailing. Bruins fans will remember him fondly for some of his playoff performances, notably his dominance over the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, his inconsistent play wasn't enough to justify a big cap hit or a guaranteed spot in the Bruins' top six.
Debrusk's asking price was too high for the Bruins, who will now look to fill Debrusk's spot with one of their up-and-coming prospects from the American Hockey League.
The valuable version of Debrusk is someone any team would want in their top six. He can be one of the fastest players on the ice when he uses his skating legs, and he can find the back of the net better than most. The unfortunate part of Debrusk's game is when he isn't moving his feet as well and doesn't contribute to the offense. When Debrusk falls into that groove, he can be one of the most frustrating players on the ice for the fans.
The question is whether a move out west will reignite Debrusk's career. He had a disappointing 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games this season but chipped in 11 points in 13 playoff games. Can the Canucks and their fans deal with Debrusk's inconsistencies if he puts them over the top in the playoffs? If the Canucks can find the right fit, Jake Debrusk will live up to the hefty price tag.
The Canucks needed a clutch performer
Out of eight teams to advance past the first round in the 2023-24 postseason, the Canucks had the second-fewest goals per game. Ironically, the team that was dead last in the statistic was the Boston Bruins, but it wasn't Debrusk's fault. Debrusk led the team in goals and points with five and 11 respectively. It put him ahead of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, and also would have made him second in goals and third in points on the Canucks.
The only Canucks players to tally more goals and points than Debrusk were JT Miller and Brock Boeser, which makes sense considering they were on the same line. Debrusk will instantly become one of the Canucks' top options in the postseason and add another layer of depth for Rick Tocchet. Debrusk has 27 goals and 47 points in 86 career postseason games. He made it to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, where he was one of the Bruins' best players.
Debrusk was also part of the best regular season team in NHL history in 2022-23 when he had a career-high in goals. He has a winning pedigree and will step up in big moments. The Canucks needed a bit more scoring against their rival-Edmonton Oilers in the second round, where they had a 3-2 series lead but couldn't close the deal. Can Debrusk become an Oilers killer like he was for the Bruins against the Maple Leafs for all those years?
Jake Debrusk is a natural fit alongside Elias Pettersson
The issue for the Canucks in the postseason was the lack of production from Elias Pettersson. They struggled to find a solid linemate for Pettersson, showing in his one goal and five assists over 13 games. The prediction is that Debrusk will be Pettersson's new linemate, which could be a perfect fit for the Western Canadian.
The best production of Debrusk's career was when he played alongside David Krejci. Debrusk played with Krejci when he had his career-high in goals in 2018-19 with 27. Krejci went home to Czechia to play for a year but returned in 2022-23, and Debrusk matched his career-high. It's no surprise that Debrusk fell back into a slump this season without him.
Pettersson isn't an identical player to Krejci, but there are a lot of similarities. He is a pass-first center who can rip the puck when he gets an opportunity. The speed of Debrusk proved to be a nice compliment to Krejci's ability to slow down the play. It'll be the same situation with Pettersson, as he also doesn't blow anyone away with his speed but can find streaking wingers with pinpoint passes.
Don't be surprised if Debrusk closes in on a career-high again this season if he and Pettersson find common ground in training camp. It isn't the only reason why the Canucks offered this contract, but if Jake Debrusk can unlock more from Pettersson, it'll be worth the money.
Final Grade: B
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