Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign F Jake DeBrusk to 7-Year, $5.5M AAV Contract

[Jack Burton]

I like him because of his work ethic, back check and scoring ability but make no mistake Canuck fans ALL PLAYS DIE on this guys stick. He is no playmaker and needs his line mates to set him up.

Little surprised by the term but I guess management is banking on him scoring goals.

 

[ddawg1950]

The term and AAV makes sense in that you are buying the most productive years of this player's career.

I think once he is given the Tocchet spa treatment he is going to be a steal.

 

[logan5]

couple questions - who were his linemates for the most part last year, and what spot does he play on the power play. We need a bumper guy that can hit the net, unlike Boeser.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Don’t like it.

Term is ridiculous but they likely had no choice.

Not happy bout the AAV but price of having to bring him in with not much other options.

Could have had him for almost nothing two years ago.

Still only a middle 6 signing though.

No actual Top 6 but it is what it is.

He's going to be JT part two.
A guy that will get an actual chance to play with a 100 point centre and he's a perfect fit for EP. High IQ, great shot, fast skater and isn't a perimeter player as for term, your seeing what guys in their mid 30's are getting right?

 

[strattonius]

I love this deal.

We need some term on good players so they eventually turn in to bargain contracts from the rising CAP. I think that's exactly what Debrusk is going to be. I also see potential for Debrusk getting to 30 goals.

7 years is a lot but Debrusk is young and 5.5M is cheap.

 

[Spectrefire]

Surprised by all the complaints here.

He's been a consistent 40-50 point player in Boston and has scored 25+ three times already and would've probably had a 4th season last year if he hadn't been playing with a broken hand for most of it.

He's also a guy that fits perfectly in Tocchet's system with his speed and defensive play and there's a good chance of him turning into a 50-60 point guy playing with Miller or Petey.

Most importantly, he's historically been a big playoff performer, which for a team with a cup window open, I one of the biggest keys.

Yeah, AAV is probably about 500k too high and term is a year or 2 too many, but at 27 he's one of the youngest FA available in a market where teams are giving 30+ year olds 6 or 7 year deals. There's a lot more upside here than downside.

You look at the deals for guys like Toffoli, Stephenson, Monahan, etc. This isn't an amazing steal, but it's not that bad for a FA signing in an absolutely crazed market.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Pretty sure he was with Coyle, or Zacha. This has JT type scenario written all over it.

couple questions - who were his linemates for the most part last year, and what spot does he play on the power play. We need a bumper guy that can hit the net, unlike Boeser.

he

 

[supercanuck]

Don't know much about the player. Seems to be a 40 point-ish winger which does not seem ideal.

However, I have always believed that EP doesn't need a superstar on his wings, but rather a Tocchet style player with offensive ability (i.e. lesser JT Miller, "better" Joshua?). Hope this works out. Either Tocchet updates his schemes or they need to surround him with players that can play Tocchet's style.

 

[bbud]

I like him because of his work ethic, back check and scoring ability but make no mistake Canuck fans ALL PLAYS DIE on this guys stick. He is no playmaker and needs his line mates to set him up.

Little surprised by the term but I guess management is banking on him scoring goals.

If he can forcheck and get to the net he will be solid there are enough playmakers team needs some greasy finishers

 

[clay]

This is a wait and see deal for me. If he clicks in the top 6 with Petey/Miller and becomes a 30 goal, 60 point guy the deal is a steal. If this past season is indicative of his production going forward, this is a big overpay.

Happy with the Heinen and Sherwood signings though. Our forward group became much better and added speed.

Still work to do with the defense - need another legit second pairing guy with Zadorov leaving.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

This guy isn't mikheyev. He's scored 27 goals in 86 playoff games. Mikheyev has 2 goals in 30 playoff games.

Debrusk is a good bet to pop in 20-30 goals and 40-50 points in the regular season. More importantly is that you can expect him to chip in some goals in the playoffs.

 

[pitseleh]

Not a fan. DeBrusk is fine and this is better than most deals so far today, but he’s a complementary winger on a team that keeps spending money on these types then get stuck from upgrading more important positions because of it. DeBrusk has fantastic numbers playing with Bergeron and Marchand and pedestrian ones when not, whereas those guys obviously maintain their results regardless of who they play with.

Much prefer the Arvidsson and Roy contracts and would have happily paid those guys another $500k-$1 million instead.

 

[HairyKneel]

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He turns 28 at the start of the season, so contract length isn't the worst but would have preferred 5 or 6 years. Cap hit a little high though.

I've said before that DeBrusk ticks a lot of boxes for the Canucks. Speed, scoring, defensive play, plays both wings, not afraid to use his body (was very physical this past playoffs). He's just very inconsistent.

However he did lead the Bruins in goals and points this past playoffs. 5 goals, 11 points in 13 games.

has as many game winning goals, as PP goals. Played a ton in the post season.

That term. Really hope Debrusk works out or he will be impossible to move.

He's still a youngish player. Not my first choice but would you prefer Louise Eriksson. Pull your head out of your ass and start fighting for some air.

 

[potatowejj]

Comparing DeBrusk to Mik is an overreaction, come on now. Debrusk actually has produced, you know, results on a consistent basis.

 

[Nuck Bonino]

cant be worse than Mikheyev alongside Petey

 

[Bourdon]

He's going to be JT part two.
A guy that will get an actual chance to play with a 100 point centre and he's a perfect fit for EP. High IQ, great shot, fast skater and isn't a perimeter player as for term, your seeing what guys in their mid 30's are getting right?

JT was already a mid-50 to 60 point guy by the time he was 23-24. Debrusk is going to be 28. He’s not JT part 2.

If Debrusk was a smarter hockey player, he’d be a much better player. He’s going to be lacking that creativity, isn’t the best passer and will need to be set up to finish well.

I say all this to make sure expectations are reasonable. Consistency is a big issue. He’s had some very, very good coaches in Cassidy and Monty and they haven’t been able to solve it.

If he gets in a 50pt season, that’s a pretty good one from him.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Don't like it, or dislike it...That is a whopping term..Having said that, Allvin must have really liked the player, so I'll defer to his good judgement here.

Obviously, for the GM to commit to that term, he must see that the player brings something to the table where they are deficient at.

 

[timw33]

Not a fan. DeBrusk is fine and this is better than most deals so far today, but he’s a complementary winger on a team that keeps spending money on these types then get stuck from upgrading more important positions because of it. DeBrusk has fantastic numbers playing with Bergeron and Marchand and pedestrian ones when not, whereas those guys obviously maintain their results regardless of who they play with.

Much prefer the Arvidsson and Roy contracts and would have happily paid those guys another $500k-$1 million instead.

Thats for sure but also were those players interested in signing here we may never know. Would also have taken Marchessault for 5.5 over him but the term for Marchessault brutal.

I am at least encouraged by him being a good ES goal scorer pretty consistently, and adding much much needed speed while being very good defensive player.

 

[Jyrki]

Don't like this. He has other things he can bring to the table, but JDB isn't a play driver and struggled to score without good service last season. Think Petey needed someone who can occasionally make something happen from nothing, someone mentioned Arvidsson earlier and I think he would've been a better add in that sense - a speedy guy who loves shooting and mucking it up around the net. Maybe not a "Tocchet hockey" guy but pretty clearly an offense driver from the wings.

Who knows, maybe JDB can benefit from Tocc the same way JTM did and he finds a new gear, but committing 7 years to bet on that is very very risky.

 

[strattonius]

If you don't like it fair enough. But just remember this was the best winger available unless you want to go down the trade route.

 

[Bourdon]

Comparing DeBrusk to Mik is an overreaction, come on now. Debrusk actually has produced, you know, results on a consistent basis.

Why not? Speedy, two way players that can PK. Debrusk’s 3 year average is 49pts. Mikheyev’s average the two years before his knee injury, 50pts.

Fine, Mikheyev’s speed might never be the same, and Debrusk seems to be a good playoff performer, but they are more similar than people here want to admit. And Debrusk has also had some dud playoff years as well.

 

[ON3M4N]

couple questions - who were his linemates for the most part last year, and what spot does he play on the power play. We need a bumper guy that can hit the net, unlike Boeser.

Coyle, Marchand & Zacha were his top 3 linemates in TOI

 

[EpochLink]

The makeup for this team on the forwards is very tough, forechecking bunch with speed.

 

[clay]

JT was already a mid-50 to 60 point guy by the time he was 23-24. Debrusk is going to be 28. He’s not JT part 2.

If Debrusk was a smarter hockey player, he’d be a much better player. He’s going to be lacking that creativity, isn’t the best passer and will need to be set up to finish well.

I say all this to make sure expectations are reasonable. Consistency is a big issue. He’s had some very, very good coaches in Cassidy and Monty and they haven’t been able to solve it.

If he gets in a 50pt season, that’s a pretty good one from him.

DeBrusk is one year removed from scoring at a 35 goal, 64 point pace. It all depends on the fit in our top 6, but it isn't out of the question he can be a consistent 30 goal, 60 point player under Tochett.

 

[M2Beezy]

I like this, this will improve the team imo, we need someone like Debrusk and at a suprisingly lower cap him then many UFAs