Vancouver Canucks 2026–27 Player Preview: Jake DeBrusk

Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for the Canucks during the 2026–27 season. Today’s player is Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk. 

On a season-by-season basis, DeBrusk is nothing if not consistent. The winger notched the seventh 40+ point season of his nine-year NHL career, putting up 23 goals and 19 assists in 81 games with the Canucks. 

On a game-by-game basis, DeBrusk has made himself known for being infamously inconsistent. The forward only scored three goals in his first 15 games in 2025–26, but immediately followed that up with five goals in his next six games in mid-November. From that stretch in November up until the Olympic break, he scored five goals in 35 games — only one of which came at even-strength. DeBrusk ended up getting healthy-scratched in December as a result of his play. 

After a three-game stretch that saw him post four points, DeBrusk cooled again for a slight span of time. Once the end of the season began to roll around, the winger went on yet another tear. From March 24 to the end of the season, the forward scored nine goals in 13 games, bringing him to a season total of 42 points on the season. 24 of these points, as well as 19 of his total goals on the year, came on the power play.  

The Hockey News - Canucks site gave DeBrusk a C+ for his performance during the 2025–26 season. While a good chunk of the year was rough for the forward, his effort towards the end of the season demonstrated the type of play the Canucks would like full-time from the winger. As well, he still finished fourth on the team in points behind Elias Pettersson (51), Filip Hronek (49), and Brock Boeser (48). 

DeBrusk will be an intriguing player to follow heading into the 2026–27 season, as the forward stated during the season that he wouldn’t entirely be open to a rebuild. 

“This game humbles everybody and it’s been a little bit more than humbling this year. Obviously, that [rebuild] is not something I would be okay with or accepting,” he had told The Province back in March. “My game doesn’t fit that.”

Because of this, DeBrusk has become one of the Canucks’ prime trade candidates during off-season discussion. Whether the forward remains with Vancouver come the start of the 2026–27 season will be determined at a later date. 

Operating under the assumption that DeBrusk remains with the Canucks at the start of the year, the likeliest option is that he’ll start the year on Vancouver’s top-line — potentially with Boeser and Pettersson. Given his track record of managing to put together so many 40-point seasons, even if the Canucks struggle next year, DeBrusk will still likely find a way to put 20 goals into the net. He’ll remain a fixture on Vancouver’s power play, particularly near the net, where he can continue to find success as he has throughout his time with the Canucks. 

Bold prediction: DeBrusk remains with the Canucks through the 2026–27 season. 

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