Sportsnet shares their bold prediction for Vancouver this season

The 2024-25 National Hockey League season is set to get underway later this week in Europe with the New Jersey Devils taking on the Buffalo Sabres in a pair of games, while on this side of the Atlantic, the campaign begins on October 8th. Vancouver will open things up on October 9th against the Calgary Flames.

On Monday, Sportsnet decided to share their bold predictions for all 32 teams around the National Hockey League for the 2024-25 season, including the Vancouver Canucks.

For the bold prediction on the Vancouver Canucks, Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon believes that Jake DeBrusk, who signed a massive contract with the team back on July 1st, will set a new career-high in goals this season with 35.

DeBrusk, 27, signed a seven-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks in July and is going to provide Rick Tocchet's group with someone who can score and be a physical presence in the top-six. The Edmonton native has 25+ goals in three of his seven seasons in the NHL, with a career-high of 27 that he's registered twice - 2018-19 & 2022-23.

To start the 2024-25 season, it seems like Jake DeBrusk will be on a line with Elias Pettersson. The other winger on that line could be either Daniel Sprong or Nils Hoglander, but we'll likely get a better idea of that during the team's final preseason game on Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

If DeBrusk does play with Elias Pettersson and gets time on the powerplay, both of which are very likely, then it wouldn't be much of a shock to anyone if he's able to score 30 or more goals for the Canucks this season.