It seemed like the Vancouver Canucks weren't going to land a top-six winger in free agency as some of the biggest names rapidly came off the board. It seemed like the Canucks might have to go bargain-hunting instead.
But then the Canucks spent big money and term on Jake DeBrusk.
There's a little bit of sticker shock with DeBrusk, as seven years at $5.5 million per year is a big contract for a winger who had 19 goals and 40 points last season. But on closer inspection, this is an intriguing deal for the Canucks, as DeBrusk could be the perfect fit for the way the Canucks want to play.
DeBrusk is a possession powerhouse, heavily tilting the ice at 5-on-5 by both winning puck battles and crisply moving the puck. He's a feisty winger with speed and strength in equal measure and decent size at 6'1" and 198 lbs.
DeBrusk's heat map from HockeyViz illustrates exactly what DeBrusk brings to the lineup: he creates a ton of chances in and around the net and helps keep the puck out of the defensive zone.
DeBrusk also does a little bit of penalty killing and can contribute on the power play as well. As a left shot, DeBrusk could easily slot into the bumper on the first power play unit, filling the hole that hasn't been properly filled since Bo Horvat left the team.
Just two seasons ago, DeBrusk had 27 goals and 50 points in 64 games, so there's reason to believe he can do better than the 40 points he scored last season, particularly on the wing with Pettersson. In addition, DeBrusk is a proven playoff performer with 17 points in 20 playoff games over the last two seasons.
DeBrusk plays the straight-ahead north-south game that Rick Tocchet loves but he has the offensive creativity and touch to work with a player like Pettersson. In theory, this could be an excellent fit for the Canucks.
The term on the deal is a lot but DeBrusk is one of the younger free agents on the market at 27, so that mitigates some of the risk. AFP Analytics projected a five-year deal at $5.8 million per year, so there's an argument to be made that the Canucks extended the term to bring his cap hit down, which could prove to be a smart move.
