5 NHL Trade Landing Spots for Jake DeBrusk Amid NHL Rumors

We are only two weeks into the 2026-27 NHL season, and the trade deadline is still several months away, but it is not too early to at least have some idea as to who some of the sellers will be.

The Vancouver Canucks, a team in the very early stages of an extensive rebuild, are likely to be one of them, and forward Jake DeBrusk is likely to be one of the potential trade chips they have.

He already hinted at not wanting to be a part of a long-term rebuild during the 2025-26 season (before later attempting to clarify those remarks), and is the type of player that probably doesn't fit in with where the Canucks are going in the short-term. He turns 30 this weekend and is probably one of the veteran players still on the Canucks roster that might have some trade value.

The fact he is 30 years old and still has four full years remaining on his contract after this one is a little bit of a concern, but his salary cap number is going to turn into a relatively non-factor in the coming seasons as the cap continues to rise. A $5.5 million cap hit for a potential 20-goal, 45-point forward is going to start looking like a bargain -- assuming he continues to score and play at that level.

So with all of that said, let's take a look at five teams around the league that could (or perhaps should) have some interest in potentially acquiring him at some point this season.

Montreal Canadiens

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After taking a huge step forward in their rebuild in 2025-26 and reaching the Eastern Conference Final, there are big expectations this season for the Montreal Canadiens. There is good reason for it. With Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson they have one of the NHL's best young cores, with all of them locked into long-term deals that should age gracefully and continue to be team-friendly deals for the long-term.

While they are very good with a great future, or at least potential future, they are still not a finished product. They still need some help in the lower half of their lineup, and after a quiet offseason that only saw them add Chris Kreider after he was let go by Anaheim, that is still case.

DeBrusk wouldn't need to be a major play-driver here and could easily settle into a middle-six role on the left side and chip in some much-needed secondary scoring, both now and in the short-term future.

Edmonton Oilers

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The Oilers are off to a fantastic start in the standings, but the gap between their top players and second-and third-tier players is still absolutely massive.

When Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the ice together? They are outscoring teams 11-1 during 5-on-5 play.

When only one is on the ice? Outscoring teams by a 4-2 margin.

When neither is on the ice? Getting outscored 5-9 with truly awful underlying and scoring chance numbers.

This recipe has not worked for almost 10 years now when it comes to winning a championship, and it is not going to work this season, even if it results in a better regular season record.

They still have a lot of holes, and a lot spots that need plugged. Goalie is one of them. Defensive depth is another. And so is scoring depth at forward. Their second, third and fourth lines are just not up to par for a championship team, and it has to be addressed at some point over the next few months.

A player like DeBrusk -- or any player that can provide some secondary scoring -- should be on their radar.

Ottawa Senators

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Just because the Senators traded Brady Tkachuk over the summer does not mean they are throwing in the towel on this season and not trying to win.

They should still have reason to believe they can be a potential playoff team in the Eastern Conference, and with a 6-2-0 start through their first eight games they are certainly making a strong case for it.

That said, they could still use a little more offense in the middle of their lineup, especially after they lost William Eklund, one of their big offseason additions, to a major injury that is going to keep him out for several months.

Moving Tkachuk not only eliminated the distraction that came with their captain not wanting to be there and waiting for his chance to leave, it also opened up a little extra salary cap space that they could use to add more pieces. DeBrusk wouldn't be a huge difference-maker, but he would be a nice addition to help add a little more scoring punch to a team that does need to replace a lot of goal-scoring.

Los Angeles Kings

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The Kings are off to a miserable start, but this doesn't strike me as a team that is going to be quick to throw in the towel this season.

They have been a playoff team five years in a row (with five first-round exits), and no doubt expect to be there again despite winning zero of their first five games.

Do they have a high ceiling? Probably not. Are they going to be a serious contender? Not likely. But the Pacific Division should still be wide open for them to have a shot to play their way back into the race. If they are going to get there, and if they are going to have any chance of making some noise, finding additional offense is going to have to be a big priority.

DeBrusk wouldn't likely be enough to move the needle a lot, but it's really hard to see where the offense is going to come from with this roster as currently constructed.

Artemi Panarin and Kevin Fiala are good wingers, and Quinton Byfield still has the upside and the hope of being a top-line player, but there is a significant drop off after that. Keep in mind, only four players scored more than 15 goals on this team a year ago, while they ranked 29th in goal scored as a team.

That's not enough.

And the offseason did not provide enough to make that change.

They still need to be in the market for a lot more offense.

Minnesota Wild

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The Wild need to be all-in this season given the uncertainty surrounding the future of superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes and whether or not he wants to re-sign here.

So why not re-unite him with one of his former Vancouver teammates that could also help fill a big need?

While center depth is the much more pressing need for the Wild, that doesn't mean they don't still have a need for additional scoring depth on the wings. Kirill Kaprizov and Hughes (along with the goaltending) are the big difference-makers here, and they can take the Wild very far during the regular season and playoffs, but the lineup does need some more work around the edges to really make them a serious Stanley Cup contender.