Canucks Have a Calculated Trade Plan for Jake DeBrusk

NHL insider David Pagnotta was a guest on the Sekeres & Price Podcast and spoke about the future of forward Jake DeBrusk. Suggesting that the plan still seems to be to trade the winger; the Canucks haven’t yet made a move, and it’s not entirely clear when they will.

Pagnotta explained: ”I still think the end goal here for him and for the Canucks is to eventually move him. It’s just a matter of finding the right package. Again, I’m not sure what the ask is right now. If the Canucks find the right deal, they’re going to pull the trigger on it.”

According to Pagnotta, it’s a matter of when and not if. As useful as DeBrusk might be, his timeline and the Canucks window to be competitive don’t exactly align. As such, if the Canucks move him, doing so when he has higher trade value and a team-friendly contract would be wise.

When asked if he was surprised that DeBrusk is still a member of the Canucks, Pagnotta responded, “Yes and no.” Noting that he’s only in year three of a seven-year extension and there is still term at $5.5 million remaining on the deal. “That’s why I’m not overly shocked that we haven’t seen anything yet.”

He wonders whether what gets this done is that DeBrusk’s ask might shift a little. The Sedins and new general manager Ryan Johnston want to make their mark on this team, and one way to do so might be trading DeBrusk for a prospect or draft picks. That could align better with the Canucks’ window.

There’s still time, and this isn’t the kind of move that needs to be done this summer. The Canucks don’t have to rush a trade. But, as the season goes and the Canucks likely struggle to win games, expect trade talk involving DeBrusk to pick up steam.

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