Blue Jackets Can Address Needs by Trading for Jake DeBrusk This Offseason

The 2026 free agent market is not going to get the league-wide headlines that free agency so often brings, but the trade market holds all the value this summer. The Columbus Blue Jackets sit in a spot that almost forces them into action as either sellers or buyers. The Vancouver Canucks had the lowest point total in the league this season by a large margin, 14 points worse than the next closest, with only 58 points.

So, in a full-on rebuild, the Canucks spare roster talent in favor of gaining more draft capital. If Columbus were to offer their first round selection, number 14 overall, or their second round selection, number 43 overall, it would give the Canucks five selections inside of the top 50 picks. That is a lot of capital for a team that could be looking to fully turn over the roster.

The Athletic‘s Aaron Portzline recently wrote about five forwards that the Blue Jackets could look to add this summer, and among them was Jake DeBrusk (from ‘Five forwards the Blue Jackets could target via trade as NHL offseason heats up,’ The Athletic, June 17, 2026). He also added names like Matthew Knies, Mason McTavish, Blake Coleman, and Jordan Kyrou as other options for Columbus.

However, DeBrusk might be a viable option for the Blue Jackets because of the power-play excellence he has shown over the last two seasons, with 33 power-play goals. That number ties him for second best in the league over that stretch, trailing only Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars with 38 goals.

Where Does DeBrusk Fit in Columbus?

DeBrusk makes sense to Columbus for more than a few options, but the biggest one might be his power-play presence. He would add a much-needed left-handed shooting threat to a Blue Jackets power play that doesn’t have a lot of them, outside of Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski.

Following the season Werenski just had and his Norris Trophy win, it puts a lot of pressure on general manager Don Waddell to add talent around him to capitalize on the prime of his career in Columbus. Otherwise, the unfortunate reality is that Werenski may request to leave.

DeBrusk would add a top-six forward, and could even rejoin his former Canucks teammate Conor Garland in Columbus. He would project on the second line, with Garland, likely centered by Sean Monahan.

He could also be a big element on the penalty kill. His presence as a two-way winger would give the Blue Jackets a more defensively responsible forward, something head coach Rick Bowness has looked for on his team.

DeBrusk’s scoring ability is not to be undersold, with four of his last five seasons having at least 23 goals. That level of consistency is something the Blue Jackets are striving for, and haven’t gotten enough of from their other forwards in the middle-six.

Waddell would be wise to make a move for a top-six forward, and DeBrusk may have enough of those top qualities without breaking the bank with compensation going back to Vancouver. The Blue Jackets have already sent a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Canucks, in the deal for Garland, as well as a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

Chemistry between the two organizations is there, though the Canucks have changed GMs since the previous trade, so maybe they strike a match again?

What Would the Compensation Be?

There has been a ton of chatter around Waddell being willing to deal the 14th overall pick, but I am not sure DeBrusk, by himself, is enough of a return for Waddell to part ways with his only first-rounder this season. A viable option, if Waddell could pull it off, would be to trade the 43rd pick instead.

However, the asking price for players around the league via trade is going to get pricey very quickly, with the free agent class being lower quality, talent-wise, than in previous years. There may certainly be some pressure on either side of the trade to get it done before the draft, or prior to other teams pushing the value one way or the other.

#Canucks

Portzline includes Jake DeBrusk as a trade target and suggests that trading the 14th overall for him.

"The Canucks own two first-round picks — Nos. 3 and 24 — but given their rebuilding plans, the No. 14 could make sense." https://t.co/UYC1ARAvrb

— Canucks News Summaries (@VCanucksNews) June 17, 2026

I think the Canucks would jump at the chance to get a first-round pick for DeBrusk. Not because he isn’t a good player, but because they couldn’t get that value at the deadline on a team that was so obviously selling. The Canucks can hold their ground, but at the end of the day, someone will need to meet the asking price, and at this time, it feels like the Blue Jackets are that team.

With the right compensation in a trade for DeBrusk, smart spending in free agency, and a good draft, the Blue Jackets could be well on their way to punching their ticket back into the playoffs next season. All the pieces, however, need to come together for all of that to make sense.

Right now, Waddell and his team just need to get better in any sense possible. When the heat gets turned up a little bit, we will see how both sides respond. For the sake of the Blue Jackets, a deal can hopefully happen before the start of free agency on July 1.