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Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk scores on Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

What Should the Canucks Do With Jake DeBrusk?

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Jan 10, 2026 2:30 PM ET

Every season has a player who quietly confounds the easy takes. Not bad enough to dismiss. Not good enough to celebrate. Just… there. For the Vancouver Canucks this season, that player might be Jake DeBrusk.

If you’ve been following his box scores, the pattern jumps out pretty quickly. Power-play goal here. Another one there. Maybe he scored the only goal in a Canucks’ loss. Maybe the spark that briefly convinces you the Canucks are about to flip a game on its head, only for it to slip away anyway. Then a healthy scratch? DeBrusk’s season has been a collection of moments that matter, stitched together inside a season that increasingly looks like it won’t.

At Even Strength, DeBrusk’s Season Has Been Uneven

At even strength, it’s been uneven. At times, he’s been pushed down the lineup. At one point, he was even a healthy scratch during a long stretch where the production dried up. That’s not where you expect a 29-year-old winger with his résumé to land. Yet, that’s been the reality. Vancouver hasn’t quite known what to do with him five-on-five, especially as injuries, line juggling, and system questions piled up.

But then you get to the power play—and suddenly the picture sharpens. That’s where DeBrusk has lived this season. Eleven of his 12 goals have come with the man advantage. He’s parked himself in the hard areas, got his stick free, and finished plays that needed finishing.

He hasn’t been flashy about it. No wild celebrations. No highlight-reel dangling. Just reliable work around the net and a willingness to absorb contact to make something happen.

That skill doesn’t vanish just because the standings look grim.

DeBrusk Has Been Playing Engaged Hockey for the Canucks

DeBrusk has been shooting the puck—over 120 shots already. He’s been engaged physically enough to matter. He’s sparked comebacks, even if they didn’t end the way the Canucks hoped. There have been games where he was the reason Vancouver even had a pulse in the third period. That counts, even if it doesn’t show up cleanly in the plus/minus column.

Which brings us to the uncomfortable part of the conversation. The Canucks don’t look like a playoff team. Not really. Not with the consistency required, anyway. When teams slide into that space—too good to burn it down, too flawed to push forward—names like DeBrusk’s start circulating. Not because he’s failed, but because he’s movable.

So, should Vancouver trade him? The answer to that question depends on what you think this Canucks season is all about.

Will the Canucks Rebuild, or Keep Some of Their Veterans?

If the goal is to salvage future assets, DeBrusk makes sense as a piece that could help a contender. Power-play scoring travels well. A winger who knows his role, doesn’t cheat the game, and can slide into a second unit without drama has value in April.

For the Canucks, DeBrusk wouldn’t be a hard sell in a trade. You wouldn’t be selling him as a franchise saviour. Instead, you’d be selling him as a solution to a specific problem. A team like the Edmonton Oilers—DeBrusk’s hometown—might jump at the chance to pick him up. That’s how deadline deals actually get done.

But if the Canucks still believe this core needs steady players more than draft picks, DeBrusk has a case to stay. He’s not blocking a prospect. He’s far from poisoning the room. He’s not freelancing. He’s doing the work, even when the results aren’t glamorous. On a team that’s struggled to generate momentum, that matters more than fans sometimes want to admit.

DeBrusk’s Season Isn’t Broken, Even if His Canucks Won’t Make the Playoffs

The truth is, Jake DeBrusk’s season isn’t broken. It’s just lost somewhere deep within the Canucks’ struggles. He’s been effective in a narrow lane, underused in others, and caught between a team trying to figure out what it wants to become.

Whether Vancouver trades him or not may say less about DeBrusk and more about how honest the Canucks are willing to be with themselves over the next few weeks. Good luck to DeBrusk in all this; he seems like one of the good guys.