It was hard to determine if general manager Patrik Allvin had added another player who could have been a miss after the Canucks cut ties with Daniel Sprong. And “yes” was the overwhelming response.
Alright, perhaps not overwhelming, since this new face appears to be performing well for the Canucks based on some basic statistics. And they really are. Going into Tuesday’s schedule, Jake DeBrusk has scored in three of the last four games—three in a row, to be exact—and he appears to be on track to reach a career-high number of points.
DeBrusk is a capable player in the top six who doesn’t hesitate to intimidate opponents by delivering body checks. On the surface, therefore, the Canucks shouldn’t feel bad about signing him.
In hindsight, I was excited to see DeBrusk move to British Columbia, but after just 13 games, I’m starting to view him as a less suitable match for this hockey club. Given his 13.8 on-ice shooting % and plus-50 in the Corsi For, both at even strength, his advanced metrics also demonstrate that he has been excellent, or at least some of them do.
The Vancouver Canucks will eventually regret signing Jake DeBrusk.
When I discuss why clubs should have regretted acquiring a player, I frequently bring up the fact that they have been a complete failure for their new squad. That isn’t the case with DeBrusk, but his pitiful 86.1 on-ice save % and the fact that he has already let up 11 goals in just 13 games are the numbers that really worry me. Well, that must be two numerals.
With between 69 and 70 goals allowed while on the ice at even strength, the math is a mess. Given that these are only two insignificant indicators, why should this figure lead me to conclude that the Canucks should regret signing this player?
My issue is that, before to DeBrusk’s arrival, Vancouver had its share of scorers. They are expected to let up even more goals this season, even though they are on track to finish with between 264 and 265 goals.
And I understand that they are now without their usual goalie. However, we also don’t know how terrific Thatcher Demko will look when he returns to action. Instead, if I were Patrik Allvin, I would have rolled more with another defensive forward rather than a guy who, despite his prior defensive prowess, played on a squad full of talented defensive players.
I like the player, but I don’t think he will help the Canucks advance much more than they did the previous season, and he could end up being a burden. I hope I’m mistaken, but after careful consideration, this signing doesn’t seem all that great. I’m a fan of Jake DeBrusk.The Mets formally declared that their $174 million fan favorite slugger will rejoin them in free agency.
