On the market's opening day, despite being linked to free agency's biggest names such as Jake Guentzel, Sam Reinhart and Tyler Toffoli, the Canucks ultimately signed Jake Debrusk. His father, a well-known hockey analyst, was on Donnie and Dhali earlier to talk about how he ended up with the Canucks.
During the interview, Debrusk Sr. revealed that the Canucks were the frontrunners right from the get-go. Given the opportunity, the staff, the offer and the market, from the very beginning, everybody felt there was no better match:
A winger who plays with grit and scores goals, Debrusk learned to be a professional hockey player alongside some of the best players in the NHL. While we may internally hate the Bruins, the institution they represent in the NHL and their ability to develop players is outstanding, and Canucks fans are going to have a first-hand look at it when Debrusk skates in Canucks' colours for the first time when it comes training camp.
The Canucks inked the winger to a seven-year deal carrying a $5.5M annual average, hoping that Debrusk can unlock the next level in him. His personal best season came in 2022-2023 when he registered 27 goals and 50 points in 64 games; he'll hopefully live up to those numbers alongside the Canucks' skilled Swede Elias Pettersson.
