Why Jake DeBrusk is not a solution for the Edmonton Oilers

For nearly half a decade, trade speculation has linked the Edmonton Oilers to Jake DeBrusk. After he signed long-term with the Canucks in 2024, however, that discussion died down.

A recent article on CanucksArmy reignited the conversation about Edmonton as a potential landing spot, as Vancouver seeks to move some of its veteran players for futures.

Speculation regarding Edmonton’s interest in DeBrusk dates back to 2021-22, when he requested a trade out of Boston. The request leaked to the public, and insiders were quick to link the Edmonton native with his hometown team. His father, Louie DeBrusk, played six seasons with the Oilers during the 1990s and currently serves as the colour commentator for their Sportsnet broadcasts.

The fit made sense at the time. Edmonton needed secondary scoring, and DeBrusk needed a fresh start.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney tried to facilitate a trade, but nothing ever materialized. After a strong second half of the season and an offseason coaching change, DeBrusk rescinded his trade request. He continued to play for Boston until he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

Rumours resurfaced between DeBrusk and the Oilers that summer, but once again, it never came to fruition. Instead, he signed a massive seven-year deal with Vancouver worth an AAV of $5.5 million.

Two years into his contract, the Canucks have imploded. They won just 25 games this season, finishing dead last in the NHL. With a teardown likely on the horizon, DeBrusk commented on his lack of interest in going through a rebuild earlier this season. While he later walked back those comments, he remains a logical trade chip for Vancouver as they look ahead to the future.

Are the Oilers a reasonable landing spot? Or will yet another round of DeBrusk to Edmonton speculation go nowhere? Let’s look at the fit.

You can’t talk about Jake DeBrusk without discussing the power play. In 2025-26, he set an NHL record for the highest percentage of goals scored on the man advantage by a 20-goal scorer. He potted a ridiculous 19 power play goals, three more than Leon Draisaitl, while scoring just four at even strength.

DeBrusk is one of the best net-front players on the power play in the league. His hand-eye coordination on tips and deflections is terrific, and he’s strong on his stick, making him available for backdoor tap-ins near the goal mouth. That is his biggest asset as a player.

Do the Oilers really need any of that, though, with Zach Hyman playing a similar role? Hyman isn’t as involved on the Oilers’ power play as DeBrusk is in Vancouver, generating about seven fewer shots per hour on average. Still, he scored over ten power play goals in three of the last four seasons. I don’t see the net front area as a weakness on this unit, nor is it necessary to make it a bigger focus of what the Oilers do. Their power play ranked number one in the NHL this season.

Hyman is getting older, and they may eventually replace him on the top unit, but the more sensible path forward is to give that spot to a young, up-and-coming player in the organization. Vasily Podkolzin has already shown a propensity for mucking it up in front of the net at even strength. Josh Samanski could be a future fit too — he played the net-front power-play spot for Germany at the 2026 Olympics.

The Oilers have already gone down the path of acquiring veterans rather than letting young players graduate into their natural long-term roles on the team. In the case of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, that choice proved costly.

Would DeBrusk be an upgrade on the power play? Probably. But unless they’re acquiring a true star, I don’t like the philosophy of spending assets on a veteran to fill a high-leverage role when there are players already on the team who are ready and waiting.

Like most of the Canucks, DeBrusk had a miserable season at even strength. He scored three goals at five-on-five in 969 minutes. His 0.93 points per hour was lower than multiple Oilers bottom-six forwards, including Curtis Lazar (0.96), Josh Samanski (1), Isaac Howard (1.16), and Andrew Mangiapane (1.17).

To be fair, luck was not on his side this season. DeBrusk finished with a five-on-five shooting percentage of 2.5 percent. That was the lowest mark of any Canuck forward who played at least 200 minutes. It was only the second time in his nine-year NHL career that he shot under nine percent. I doubt we’ll see him shoot that poorly again.

Taking a four-year sample, containing both his most fortunate season (2022-23 with the Bruins) and his unluckiest season (2025-26), DeBrusk averages 1.55 points per hour at even strength. That would rank seventh among Oiler forwards in 2025-26, sandwiched between Podkolzin and Matt Savoie.

It’s no secret that the Oilers are looking for top-six forwards this offseason. Assuming his finishing at even strength rebounds, DeBrusk can produce at a middle-six rate while providing a possible upgrade on the power play. He ranks in the 90th percentile in skating speed, which would add more pace to Edmonton’s forward group. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to make him worthwhile for the Oilers.

$5.5 million isn’t a terrible cap hit for a team with a ton of space, but there are far better value bets out there for a team in the Oilers’ situation. They’ve struck out on middle-six acquisitions around a similar cap hit over the past few years, with Arvidsson, Mangiapane, and Jeff Skinner all lasting only one season (or less). Unlike those players, if DeBrusk fails to live up to expectations, they would be stuck with him under contract for four more years. This would be a dangerous bet by the Oilers. With such a thin margin for error, they need to acquire cheap, high upside players or proven slam-dunks. DeBrusk is neither.

He turns 30 in October. His five-on-five production has decreased for three consecutive seasons. His services aren’t necessary for the number one power play in the league to succeed. Fans and analysts in Vancouver might see a fit there, but the Oilers would be wise to pass on DeBrusk yet again.