When Jake DeBrusk hit the open market in the summer of 2024, it felt like the end of an era in Boston. The Bruins were at a crossroads, and general manager Don Sweeney had some tough calls to make.
One of the biggest? Deciding the future of their 2015 first-round pick, a player who’d shown flashes of brilliance but never quite found consistency in a Bruins uniform.
After a second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers, DeBrusk’s post-series comments hinted that his time in Boston had run its course. That hunch proved right-shortly after free agency opened, DeBrusk inked a seven-year, $38.5 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks. A $5.5 million AAV looked like a solid bet for a player with his skillset, especially as the salary cap continues to climb.
But here we are in Year 2 of that contract, and things aren’t going according to plan.
A Rocky Ride in Vancouver
DeBrusk’s 2025-26 season has been anything but smooth. With 12 goals and 10 assists heading into a Thursday night matchup against Columbus, the numbers aren’t disastrous-but they’re not what the Canucks were hoping for from a top-six winger in the second year of a long-term deal.
The real red flag came in late December, when DeBrusk was made a healthy scratch against the Seattle Kraken. That decision reportedly didn’t sit well with his camp.
According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, rival teams took notice, sensing potential friction and possibly an opportunity. As Kypreos put it, “There’s blood in the water, and sharks are circling.”
Make no mistake: DeBrusk’s name is back on the radar around the league.
A Familiar Pattern
If this all feels a little familiar, well, Bruins fans have seen this movie before.
Back in Boston, DeBrusk was no stranger to tough love from the coaching staff-and he didn’t always take it well. He was scratched at times, publicly challenged by coaches, and even requested a trade before ultimately signing an extension ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. It was a rollercoaster, to say the least.
But when DeBrusk was on his game? He could be a game-changer.
At even strength, on the power play, and even on the penalty kill, he brought energy, finishing ability, and versatility. That’s what made him such a tantalizing player for teams in free agency-and why 14 clubs reportedly pursued him in 2024 with multi-year offers.
Now, those same teams-or at least some of them-may be circling back, sensing that Vancouver could be open to moving him if things don’t turn around soon.
What’s Next?
The Canucks have a decision to make. DeBrusk still has value, and at $5.5 million per year, his contract isn’t unmovable-especially with the cap trending upward. But if the relationship is fraying and the production isn’t meeting expectations, a change of scenery might be on the table once again.
For Bruins fans, this situation has an all-too-familiar ring to it. The highs and lows, the flashes of brilliance followed by stretches of inconsistency, and now the whispers of another potential trade. Whether or not Vancouver pulls the trigger, one thing is clear: Jake DeBrusk’s journey continues to be anything but predictable.