The Vancouver Canucks are coming off a rough 2025-26 season, and that puts a spotlight on just about everyone heading into 2026-27. But few players carry more pressure than Jake DeBrusk, who needs a much stronger year if the Canucks are going to get value from his contract.
DeBrusk is one of three forwards to watch for Vancouver this season, and the expectation is straightforward: produce closer to the level of his pay. The Canucks signed him to a seven-year, $38.50 million deal ahead of the 2024-25 season, a contract that carries a $5.5 million annual hit. After a solid first year in Vancouver, his second season dipped.
In 2025-26, DeBrusk finished with 23 goals and 42 points in 81 games. That made him the team’s goal leader and fourth in scoring, but the numbers still fell short of what Vancouver needs from a player in that slot. His point total dropped from 48 the year before, and he finished at minus-31.
The scoring split tells an even sharper story. Of his 23 goals, only four came at 5-on-5.
That’s a problem for a winger who spent much of the season on the top line with Elias Pettersson and also worked on the top power-play unit. Even with 19 power-play goals last season, DeBrusk has to show more finishing at even strength.
His usage was as heavy as it’s been in his career. DeBrusk averaged 16:52 of ice time last season, the highest mark of his career, and 24 of his 42 points came on the power play. For a top-line player skating with Pettersson and a mix of either Brock Boeser or another right-side option, that kind of production is hard to sell as enough.
Before arriving in Vancouver, DeBrusk posted 19 goals and 40 points in 80 games with the Boston Bruins in 2023-24. His first Canucks season, 2024-25, looked better: 28 goals and 48 points in 82 games. The hope now is that he can rebound toward that range again.
With four seasons left on the deal, including 2026-27, DeBrusk is expected to do more than simply tread water. He’s signed through 2030-31, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at 34.
To come closer to matching the contract, he needs to land around 27 to 30 goals and nearly 50 points this season. Ideally for Vancouver, that turns into a career year.
For the Edmonton, Alberta native, the next step is clear.
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