The Vancouver Canucks are still expected to trade away Jake DeBrusk at some point this summer. The star forward previously made it clear that he is not exactly willing to endure a rebuild in Western Canada. Vancouver, however, is seemingly at the early stages of just that. The Canucks finished the most recent season with the worst record in the NHL and have already offloaded fellow veterans Marcus Pettersson and Nils Hoglander in recent days.
Trying to predict DeBrusk’s trade value is not an easy task at the moment. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance was asked this specific question during a recent Q&A for the news outlet. As the beat writer points out, there are several solid veteran wingers available in free agency. Anthony Mantha, Michael Bunting, and Patrick Kane are among the players in DeBrusk’s position still out there.
Why would an NHL team give up assets to land DeBrusk when they could just pick up one of these free agents? Ultimately, Drance believes that Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson should expect a similar package as what the team received for Conor Garland in March. Vancouver previously sent Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets for second- and third-round draft picks.
While this is not exactly a huge return, Drance believes that the Vancouver Canucks would be in a better position if they accepted this package and replaced DeBrusk with Bunting. The former Maple Leaf is coming off a fairly disappointing campaign, which saw him play for two different clubs. Nevertheless, the winger has proven to be a reliable forward when given ample playing time.
Michael Bunting Would Cost the Vancouver Canucks Similar Money as Jake DeBrusk
GettyFormer Maple Leaf Michael Bunting would be a solid pickup for the Vancouver Canucks.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently ranked Bunting as the eighth-best unrestricted free agent this summer. Due to a flurry of early offseason moves, he is now the second-best available NHL player in the market behind Mantha. Johnston is predicting that Bunting will receive a contract in the neighborhood of four years, $23 million ($5.8 million AAV). If so, this would be a slight pay raise for the veteran winger.
The Vancouver Canucks previously rewarded DeBrusk with a seven-year, $38.5 million contract ($5.5 million AAV) in 2024. If Johnson and Vancouver essentially swap DeBrusk for Bunting, the annual cap hit would roughly be the same cost. The current Canuck has outproduced Bunting in recent years. Nevertheless, the former Maple Leaf has not been able to settle with a team for quite some time. In fact, he has played for multiple teams in each of the last three campaigns.
Vancouver May Find Best Trade Partner in Chicago
The Vancouver Canucks will likely have multiple teams ask about DeBrusk. The Montreal Canadiens are already being linked with a potential move for the star forward. Montreal also has the necessary picks to strike a deal with Vancouver. The Chicago Blackhawks, however, may be a better fit for DeBrusk.
Chicago was recently dealt a major blow after star center Connor Bedard suffered a significant shoulder injury. The Blackhawks need to add firepower, have plenty of money to spend, and have more than enough draft picks to add a player like DeBrusk. The Canucks may need to move things along regarding the disgruntled forward so that they do not miss out on Bunting, though.
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