One insider was asked whether the Red Wings might move Alex DeBrincat to shake up their roster. Meanwhile, there's speculation about the Canucks and Jake DeBrusk.
For the third straight year, the Detroit Red Wings are poised to tumble out of a playoff berth by season's end.
That's generated questions about GM Steve Yzerman's future with the Red Wings.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press wondered what would happen to Yzerman if the Wings fall short again, while The Hockey News' Adam Proteau and Daily Faceoff's Carter Hutton believe the Red Wings icon is on the hot seat.
Regardless of whether Yzerman stays or goes, there could be some changes coming to the Red Wings' roster if their post-season drought reaches 10 seasons.
On Friday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was asked whether the Red Wings might move on from Alex DeBrincat. The 28-year-old left winger is poised to reach the 40-goal plateau for the third time in his nine-season NHL career.
DeBrincat is three years into a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.875 million. He will be a year away from UFA eligibility on July 1, which is the earliest the Wings can sign him to a contract extension.
Friedman didn't rule out DeBrincat getting traded, but he doesn't see the Red Wings moving a reliable goal-scorer who would be difficult to replace.
DeBrincat's future in Detroit will be determined by how his negotiations go with Yzerman (or his replacement) this summer. He will likely seek a more lucrative long-term deal worth over $11 million annually, which he can justify by pointing to his production and value to the Red Wings.
The Wings have the projected cap space for 2027-28 to re-sign DeBrincat. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how much they're willing to pay to keep him in the fold.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the rebuilding Canucks are expected to make significant changes this summer.
Ben Kuzma of The Province wondered whether shipping out Jake DeBrusk might be part of the rebuilding plan. The 29-year-old left winger is signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $5.5 million.
Kuzma believes the streaky DeBrusk might benefit from a change of scenery after enduring lengthy scoring droughts with the floundering Canucks this season. Doing so would mean finding a suitable replacement for his offense, prompting Kuzma to suggest parting with draft picks for a younger scoring winger.
DeBrusk has a full no-movement clause through 2026-27, but he might be open to waiving it if the Canucks stage a full roster rebuild. On March 3, he told reporters a rebuild isn't something he would be willing to accept.
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