The Vancouver Canucks finally gave Jake Debrusk his wish and got him away from the Boston Bruins after signing him to a seven-year contract at the beginning of free agency.
The Canucks signed him to a $38.5 million contract, which gave him well-needed security. Debrusk revealed recently that he asked for a trade twice during his time with the Bruins, so the chances of him signing back in Boston were unlikely. The speedy winger will now get the opportunity to become Elias Pettersson's new right-hand man. Jake Debrusk's ability to perform with elite playmaking centers will be a big reason for these bold predictions after the Canucks signing.
Debrusk was the picture of inconsistency during his time with the Bruins. There was no better example of this than his play this past season. Debrusk tallied 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games, feeling the effects of losing his long-time centerman David Krejci. Krejci returned to the Bruins for the 2022-23 season, with Debrusk having one of the best seasons of his career. Debrusk's play that season was also attributed to new head coach Jim Montgomery after Debrusk struggled to perform under Bruce Cassidy.
Michael Sullivan on X, formerly known as Twitter, revealed, “Of Jake Debrusk's 19 goals last season, eight of them came in a 14-game stretch following the Christmas break… that means 42% of his goal production came in 14 of his 80 games.”
The stat showed everything that Bruins fans hated about Debrusk's career, as he didn't show up to compete in long stretches of the season. However, Debrusk was one of their top scorers during the postseason, tallying 11 points in 13 games. He was always valuable in the playoffs, which won over the fans despite his inconsistent play in the regular season.
Jake Debrusk scores a career-high alongside Elias Pettersson
Debrusk has never scored 30 goals in a season at the NHL level. The last time he eclipsed that number in a single season was in 2014-15 on the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. Debrusk came close to reaching that number in 2018-19 and 2022-23 when he scored 27 goals. The problem for Debrusk was that he played just 68 and 64 games in that season, respectively. If Debrusk had managed to stay healthy for either of those seasons, he might be a two-time 30-goal scorer.
The constant in these career seasons for Debrusk is that he played alongside Krejci. Krejci had 555 assists in 1032 career games but didn't have more than 53 assists in a single season. He was one of the best playmaking centers of his era, but Debrusk may have been one of the best wingers he ever played alongside. Krejci's Bruins career had an asterisk due to their inability to play him with elite-scoring wingers.
Pettersson has eclipsed the 55-assist mark in back-to-back seasons despite being similar to Krejci in that the Canucks don't have him playing with elite wingers all the time. Debrusk isn't considered elite, but his numbers should improve alongside Pettersson. The stylistic fit for Debrusk alongside Pettersson is something we've already seen.
Krejci liked to play hockey methodically, slowing the game down and lulling the opposition to sleep. Pettersson plays the game the same way, which should give Debrusk some comfort. It's easy to imagine Debrusk using his blazing speed to get open for Pettersson's deft passes through the middle of the ice.
Debrusk leads Canucks in scoring in the postseason at some point
The Canucks biggest downfall in the 2024 postseason was their inability to score. Pettersson moved around the lineup to try and find a fit, but he couldn't contribute. If Rick Tocchet had found a way to unlock Pettersson's production, the Canucks could have made it past the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.
The Canucks held a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 but lost two in a row to the eventual Stanley Cup runner-ups. The Canucks knew they needed to find a way to improve their offense for the postseason, which is where Debrusk hopes to come in.
Debrusk has been a postseason star for the Bruins for his entire career. He single-handedly pushed them over the line in the 2018 and 2019 playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs and did it again in 2024 with 11 points in 13 games.
Debrusk may play inconsistent in the regular season, but all will be forgiven for Canucks fans if he manages to put them over the top in April and May. It's easy to imagine a scenario where Debrusk scores a big goal for the Canucks against a team like the Oilers to win a big playoff game. He has done it against the Bruins rivals and will do it again in Vancouver.
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