Veteran Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk made headlines earlier this year, when his comments in the lead-up to the trade deadline suggested he had a strong preference for a move away from Vancouver. DeBrusk told Ben Kuzma of The Province that a rebuild “is not something I would be OK with or accepting.
My game doesn’t fit that.” Since the Canucks have plunged head-first into a full-scale rebuild of their organization, many considered DeBrusk’s comments to be a de facto trade request. That interpretation has proven to be inaccurate.
DeBrusk addressed his comments with the media, including Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, telling them “I want to say this on the record: I have not asked for a trade,” and “I signed in Vancouver for a reason. I wanted to help them win and I still think I can help them.” He also added that he “still believe[s] in this group,” and that he would sign his contract again if he “had the chance to now.”
The “deal” DeBrusk is referring to is the seven-year, $5.5MM AAV contract he signed with the club on July 1, 2024. He is entering year three on the deal and it will take him until the summer of 2031, when he will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 34.
DeBrusk was frequently mentioned as a trade candidate last season, and those rumors have persisted into the summer. TSN’s Travis Yost wrote last month that DeBrusk “seems like an inevitable trade piece to a contender” after scoring 23 goals and 42 points in 2025-26.
But based on DeBrusk’s comments today, it appears any trade would be initiated by the team, not the player himself. It should be noted that DeBrusk’s deal carries a full no-move clause for 2026-27, before converting to a 15-team no-trade list for next season.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
Vancouver has one of the league’s weaker rosters as things currently stand, which has led many to speculate as to whether they could be a landing spot for any of the veteran free agents that are still sitting on the open market without a contract for 2026-27. While the Canucks certainly can’t be totally ruled out for names such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, or Patrik Laine, it seems the team’s focus is on a different avenue to add players.
According to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, the Canucks are prioritizing the early-season waiver wire as an opportunity to add talent. GM Ryan Johnson told Drance that early-season waivers are “a great opportunity,” and added that the team’s Hockey Operations department is already preparing for how it might be able to leverage its No. 1 position in the claim order.
Teams have routinely been able to find NHL-caliber talent from the waiver wire, whether they are contenders or rebuilders. The Carolina Hurricanes had a season-opening waiver claim in net (Brandon Bussi) when they lifted the Stanley Cup earlier this year, while the then-rebuilding Montreal Canadiens found a legitimate NHL defensive defenseman in Johnathan Kovacevic way back in 2022, to name two notable examples.
The Canucks may be hoping to add another name to that list of successful waiver claims.
Earlier this month, Dallas Stars veteran forward Tyler Seguin made headlines when he returned to the ice for an informal skate in advance of training camp. Seguin suffered a torn ACL in his right knee that knocked him out for almost the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and has seen injuries limit him to just 47 games played across the last two seasons combined.
Seguin spoke with the media yesterday regarding his injuries, telling Robert Tiffin of NHL.com that his most recent rehab process has “been probably the most challenging” one of his career. When asked, Seguin did not firmly answer whether he would be available for Dallas’ first regular-season game on Oct.
2. While the 34-year-old’s playing abilities may be diminished compared to his prime, he still has a lot to offer the Stars when healthy.
Despite the health issues, Seguin produced 21 points in 20 games during the 2024-25 campaign, and 17 points in 27 games during 2025-26.