Jake DeBrusk is reportedly headed to a surprising new destination

The Ottawa Senators are among a group of teams that have shown interest in Jake DeBrusk, according to two league sources cited by the Ottawa Citizen on Wednesday.

The report, attributed to Ottawa Citizen writer Ken Garrioch, adds an important detail that changes the calculus here.

Vancouver may not be asking for much in return.

The Canucks reportedly want out of DeBrusk's contract. That alone shifts this from a standard trade conversation to something much easier for Steve Staios and the Senators to consider seriously.

DeBrusk carries a $5,500,000 cap hit. For a team finishing at 58 points this season with a -100 goal differential, shedding that number is not a small thing.

The season in Vancouver was brutal. Twenty-five wins. A roster that finished last in its division and nowhere near a playoff spot. Adam Foote inherited a mess, and the rebuild has a ways to go.

So what does DeBrusk actually bring to Ottawa if the deal gets done?

DeBrusk's power play surge makes him attractive for Senators

Despite the team around him falling apart, DeBrusk put up 23 goals and 42 points in 81 games this season. He went -31, which tells you everything about Vancouver's defensive structure.

But in his last 10 games, he scored 7 times. Six of those came on the power play.

That is not a fluke. That is a shooter who found his range late in the year and peaked at exactly the right time for trade conversations.

Ottawa's power play already had Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle driving the bus. Adding a trigger man who just scored 19 power play goals in a season fits the structure Travis Green runs.

The Senators finished 44-27-11 with 99 points. They have the cap space, the roster foundation, and the motivation to push further. DeBrusk at a discounted acquisition cost is exactly the kind of low-risk, high-upside move Staios might be willing to take.

The question is whether the offensive output translates in a market where the team actually competes. DeBrusk's numbers in Vancouver came on a sinking ship. Ottawa is not that.

That could go either way. Some players elevate when the pressure means something. Others have been carrying a struggling team and quietly coast once the environment improves.

The -31 rating does not disappear just because the logo on the jersey changes. That number reflects more than bad luck.

Still, if Vancouver is essentially asking Ottawa to take on the contract without giving up a meaningful asset, this is worth a serious look. The risk is mostly financial.

Grady Sas reposted the original claim Wednesday evening on X, which is when it started gaining traction across the hockey community.

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The Senators have needs at forward depth heading into the offseason. DeBrusk is 29, still in a window where his skating and shot are functional at a top-six pace.

Whether Ottawa ends up being the landing spot or just one of several teams kicking the tires, the fact that Vancouver is willing to eat some of this deal to move on says plenty about where the Canucks organization is right now.

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