The Vancouver Canucks’ biggest signing of free agency this week was inking former Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. This addition seemed to make sense for both sides, as DeBrusk always seemed to want a bigger role in Boston and by signing in Vancouver he will get that role. From the Canucks’ point of view, he is exactly the type of player Vancouver needs if they want to go farther in the playoffs as he has gone on several deep runs with the Bruins since he became a full-time player in 2018.
What Does DeBrusk Bring to the Canucks?
On the surface, DeBrusk is a top-six and potentially even top-line forward on any team in the NHL. He is a strong power forward who can score when needed and is defensively responsible when called upon. But his greatest strength is his toughness and ability to bully defenders in the offensive zone and drive the net to create scoring chances. He brings a toughness and grit that is needed in Vancouver after the team lost Nikita Zadorov on the back end and having someone who can do that with a scoring touch is a massive benefactor. As the Canucks look to improve on last season’s loss against the Edmonton Oilers, they needed to get tougher and they did that by getting DeBrusk.
Speaking of the series against the Oilers, DeBrusk is a playoff monster. His regular season numbers don’t jump out at you seeing as he has only scored a career-high of 50 points, but in the playoffs, he turns into a different player. In these past playoffs, he played in 13 games against both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers and scored 11 points, which tied his career high in playoff scoring from 2019, but this time he did it in 11 fewer games as he scored 11 points in 24 games in 2018-19. The Canucks will love what DeBrusk can bring them as he brings that tough game that needs to be played in the playoffs but also scores goals in big moments. Adding him to a forward core that already has Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser should make the Canucks feared in the playoffs.
DeBrusk Should Not Have Trouble Fitting In
While in Boston, DeBrusk played with players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand during his seven seasons in the organization. He was able to have immense success with those players even toward the tail end of their careers. Now coming into Vancouver where their forward core is full of young and talented players, he should be able to find a role on this team where he can be effective.
Related: Meet the New Canucks: Jake DeBrusk
Whether he plays with Miller or Pettersson, he will have two great centers who will be able to set him up when in the offensive zone. He will presumably be on the Canucks powerplay and will get to play with underrated players like Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua. He may even get the chance to play with a former Bruins teammate in Danton Heinen who the Canucks also signed. Whether he plays on the first line or the second line, DeBrusk should be able to create chemistry with the players on the Canucks roster and make the forward core better than it was a season ago.
DeBrusk is a great signing by the Canucks front office and the experience that he brings into the locker room and the organization will be pivotal for a team that was a goal away from tying Game 7 of their series against the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up. He will bring toughness and scoring to a team that desperately needs it and he may be the key piece that helps the Canucks make it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2011.
