Vancouver Canucks News & Rumours: DeBrusk, the Rebuild & a Big Misunderstanding – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

A pretty interesting Jake DeBrusk story came out this week, and it isn’t about goals or assists. It’s about what happens when a player says something during a miserable season – the quote takes on a life of its own, and suddenly everybody thinks he’s looking for the exit.

DeBrusk has been at the centre of plenty of those rumours since the Vancouver Canucks started their rebuild. But in an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, he’s now making one thing pretty clear: he hasn’t asked to be traded. In fact, he sounds like he is actually looking forward to seeing what comes next in Vancouver.

Jake DeBrusk Says He Hasn’t Asked the Canucks for a Trade

It all started in March, when DeBrusk said he wasn’t prepared to go through a rebuild. Given the Canucks were having a miserable season, it wasn’t hard to see where the frustration came from. But the quote became bigger than the moment, and DeBrusk admits now that he probably could have chosen his words more carefully.

That’s worth remembering. Players say things when they’re frustrated, just like everybody else. He says he clarified his comments the next day, saying he still believed in the group and would sign his Vancouver contract again if he had the chance. More importantly, he now says he has not asked for a trade.

That’s a pretty important distinction because DeBrusk has been mentioned in trade speculation ever since the Canucks started moving veterans for futures. His contract includes a no-movement clause, but that doesn’t mean his name won’t continue to appear in rumours. Vancouver is rebuilding, and valuable veterans will naturally attract attention.

For now, though, he says he’s still committed to the Canucks. At 29, he sees himself as someone who can help the younger players coming through the organization rather than somebody who needs to get out of town.

DeBrusk Knows He Has to Be Better in Vancouver

Another part of McIntyre’s interview might be more important than the trade denial. DeBrusk knows he didn’t have the season he wanted. In fact, he says quite plainly that he hasn’t played his best hockey during his first two seasons with the Canucks.

That’s particularly interesting because his numbers were a little strange. He scored 23 goals last season, but only four came at even strength, which means 19 came on the power play. For a player who has always taken pride in his five-on-five game, that’s not exactly the profile he wants.

And DeBrusk seems to understand that. He talked about learning more about himself last season than in any other year and said the game has a way of humbling you when things aren’t going well. That’s a pretty different message from the frustrated player we heard from around the trade deadline.

There may actually be an opportunity here. DeBrusk has been around long enough to know what a rebuild looks like. He grew up in Edmonton during the Oilers’ lean years and remembers what it was like watching a team collect high draft picks while trying to build something better. Now he’s on the other side of that process. And rather than running from it, he’s saying he wants to help.

What’s Next for Jake DeBrusk and the Canucks?

This doesn’t mean DeBrusk is suddenly untouchable. The Canucks are rebuilding, and general manager Ryan Johnson needs to keep collecting young players and draft capital. If a veteran becomes an attractive trade chip, that’s simply part of the business. But there’s a difference between being made available for the right trade and wanting out of Vancouver. DeBrusk is making it pretty clear that those aren’t the same thing.

And maybe that’s the more interesting story here. The Canucks need experienced players who can help their young players through the ugly parts of a rebuild. DeBrusk has seen plenty of hockey, has played for the Boston Bruins and Vancouver, and knows what the pressure feels like.

The Canucks won’t suddenly become a contender because he feels better about the rebuild. But if he can rediscover the five-on-five game that made him valuable in the first place, while also becoming one of the veteran voices around a young core, he could become a pretty useful part of what Vancouver is building.

For DeBrusk, the message seems fairly simple: last season was a tough one, the rebuild is real, and he has no intention of pretending otherwise. But he’s also not asking for the door. He wants another shot at playing the hockey he knows he can play.