NHL Trade Rumor: Oilers Linked to DeBrusk

Jake DeBrusk's disappointing season has landed him on the rumor mill of late. He was a healthy scratch for the Vancouver Canucks in late December. And while things have turned around a bit for him since then, the same can't be said for the team, however.

DeBrusk has three goals and five points in the last five games, but the Canucks' losing streak was extended to six games over the weekend with a dreadful 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they are now dead last in the NHL.

The 29-year-old winger is only in Year Two of a seven-year deal with Vancouver at a $5.5 million AAV.

Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal says that the Edmonton Oilers have interest in a move for DeBrusk—though maybe not right now.

There are rumors out there about DeBrusk and the Oilers...I was told, the Oilers and DeBrusk maybe in the summer. His hometown. I was told maybe in the summer, but it’s tough to get… he’s not a got a no-move too.

Yes, DeBrusk does have a full no-move clause. But to go to his hometown team, and a Stanley Cup contender to boot? That could be the recipe for DeBrusk to waive his NMC.

With the Oilers looking for another scoring forward as one of their prime trade deadline targets, this makes sense from their end, if they were able to somehow make the money work. We know that Andrew Mangiapane and his $3.6M cap hit will almost definitely be gone in the very near future. The Oilers currently have just under $5M in cap space available.

DeBrusk has three 25+ goal seasons in the previous four years. Placing him on a line with Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl would certainly be appealing for the veteran forward.

In a down season, DeBrusk is currently sitting with 12 goals and 22 points in 43 games while averaging a career-high 17:43 of ice time per night.