When local product Jake DeBrusk signed his seven-year $38.5 million free-agent deal with the Vancouver Canucks last summer, leaving the only NHL team he had ever known — the Boston Bruins, little did Jake know he would find himself in the eye of the storm on the west coast.
There was more stuff happening off the ice than on it with the Canucks missing the playoffs in 2024-2025 after winning the Pacific division and almost knocking off the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Western Conference semifinal.
• The ongoing Elias Pettersson-J.T. Miller centre-ice soap opera before the vocal Miller was traded to the New York Rangers Jan. 31
• The out-of-leftfield story about Canucks’ best player Quinn Hughes maybe wanting to join his brothers Jack and Luke in New Jersey when Quinn’s contract is up in two years and he’s a free-agent.
• The uncertainty about goaltender Thatcher Demko’s leg issues, which had short-circuited the Vezina trophy finalist’s career and whether he would come back good as new and help the surprising Kevin Lankinen in net.
So while DeBrusk recorded a career-high 28 goals in his first year in Vancouver, the team, which had shown so much promise the year before, utterly failed.
“I was coming in as the new guy so I was meeting everybody, like it’s the first day of school… I even said that at the first day of camp (last fall),” said DeBrusk, skating this week at Perry Pearn’s 3-on-3 pro camp before heading to Vancouver.
“I was meeting all new management, all new staff. The stuff I was around I didn’t think was too crazy, but you’ve got the media, all the stuff from the past coming out. Obviously J.T. left (leave of absence from the team before the trade). That was the most intense. As a guy who had just met him, you hope he’s OK. You don’t know what’s going on. But everything happens for a reason.”
It was the first time in DeBrusk’s hockey playing time he had ever missed the playoffs, junior then pro. That stung, but life moves on.
“That sucks… different feeling going into the summer after watching every single round of the playoffs like I was a kid again, “he said.
“But I certainly don’t regret my decision (to sign there).”
The Pettersson-Miller scenario went on for weeks and weeks, with the quiet Pettersson struggling to put up offence and the driven Miller reportedly wanting more out of the top line centre. The situation had been simmering for awhile.
DeBrusk was the new kid on the block, coming in cold.
“I have the perfect excuse. I wasn’t there that long. I don’t know everything (in the past),” said DeBrusk, who turns 29 in October.
“J.T. had me over for dinner a couple of times and I love him a lot. I was sitting beside Petey in the dressing room and we hung out a lot. It became a thing where I was almost the middle man.
“In all fairness I wish the best for J.T. and his family, They welcomed me. For me it’s unfortunate. I wanted to play longer with them but it’s not my decision. Trades happen all the time. Yeah, it was a crazy time.”
Was he surprised when Canucks’ president Jim Rutherford said Quinn had told him he would like to play with his brothers some day?
“Yeah, kind of. I guess it was at a press conference. Who wouldn’t want to do that? If I had any brothers I would like to play with them. Every person has their own goals and loyalties and I know Quinn wants to win badly in Vancouver. That’s one of the main reasons I went there, to meet him, to get to know him and I want to be part of that,” said DeBrusk.
“He had a similar thing to what I had the year before (Boston) and we were talking about what I had done to prepare for games. It’s not easy when it’s your bottom hand (on the stick). You could see what he was going through. I give him credit.
“I’ve never played with a player who controls the game like he does, forward or D. I played against him a couple of times a year when I was in Boston and he was hard to handle. He was a nightmare for a winger like me (forecheck). But when you play with him a whole season, I’m thinking ‘how did I not have a clue (how great he is)?’
“He controls the game, plays 25 minutes a night. I don’t know what his analytics are but he tilts the ice, he’s like a fourth forward. And he defends well. He’s a small guy and guys are coming for him every shift (to pound him), like in the playoffs. It’s like Connor (McDavid) or Leon (Draisaitl). You don’t think teams are trying to hit them and they still get two points a game. They get 35 points in the playoffs. I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t think I have 35 points in 90 playoff games.”
And the goaltending?
Demko, who has had hip, groin and knee issues in his Canucks’ career, signed a three-year extension to start in 2026-2027 at $8.5m AAV coupled with Lankinen’s $4.5 million AAV. That’s $13 million on the cap for their goaltending tandem. If Demko stays healthy, this is Canucks’ strength..
“Kevin pretty much saved us last year (when Demko was hurt long-term). He gave us a fighting chance because we weren’t playing our best at the start of the year. That hurt us. We weren’t winning but we were collecting (OT) points. He (Lankinen) earned every penny of his deal,” said DeBrusk.
“Then Demmer comes back. When he’s on his game he’s top 5, or top 3 (in league). Hopefully he can get back to that. They’re pretty tight (Lankinen and Demko). I’ve been a part of some pretty good goalie tandems before in Boston from Tuukka (Rask), Sway (Jeremy Swayman) and Linus (Ullmark).”
It’s crushing to win in the West and the Canucks, while strong in net and on defence, don’t have enough scoring and they badly need a second-line centre. They got Filip Chytil in the Miller deal but he’s had concussion issues.
It’s going to be a tall order for the Canucks to make the playoffs.
“When I was in the East, it was a gauntlet with Tampa and Toronto and Florida. One of those teams was making it to the (final) dance. But the West (style) is a bit harder, more physical and bigger,” said Debrusk.
“We’re in a good division and in a good conference, but I’m optimistic. We have a base (goalies and defence). You can score all you want and play high-roller but you’re not going to win. Yeah, we need more goals but I’d rather have that than no defence. We’ll have to win some 2-1 games, I guess.”
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