The Montreal Canadiens are being cast as a real trade destination for Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk, and the fit is easy to see on paper.
Montreal is still searching for another skilled scorer to round out its top nine, and that need has pushed the Canadiens onto Adam Gretz’s list of possible landing spots for the Canucks forward in a recent Bleacher Report piece. Gretz pointed to Montreal’s need for help in the lower half of the lineup after a quiet offseason that brought in only Chris Kreider, and he said DeBrusk could slide into a middle-six role on the left side while adding secondary scoring.
"While they are very good with a great future, they are still not a finished product. They still need some help in the lower half of their lineup, and after a quiet offseason that only saw them add Chris Kreider, that is still the case. DeBrusk wouldn't need to be a major play-driver here and could easily settle into a middle-six role on the left side and chip in some much-needed secondary scoring, both now and in the short-term future," Gretz wrote.
The scoring profile is exactly why DeBrusk makes sense for Montreal. The 2015 first-round pick has scored at least 23 goals in four of his last five seasons, and he’s opened this season well in Vancouver with three goals and five points in seven games.
If Montreal were to get involved, there are a couple of obvious ways to use him. One possible look would be beside Alex Newhook and Kreider on the second line.
Another would be on the third line with Zach Bolduc and Phillip Danault. Either way, the Canadiens would be adding another layer of offense to a roster that could use it.
The cap number only adds to the appeal. DeBrusk carries a $5.5 million hit through the 2030-31 season, a detail that makes him an even more realistic name to watch if Montreal decides to pursue him.
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