Manny Malhotra had Jake DeBrusk skating as the extra at Canucks practice Friday, and the winger knows exactly what that could mean.
"I'm not going to make any excuses for my game, but I'm not 100 percent right now," the winger said.
He didn't hide how a healthy scratch would feel. He'd be "super disappointed," angry too, though he added, "I know I have to step up my game."
According to DeBrusk, the coach hasn't told him anything directly. "He hasn't said anything to me, but these things do seem to happen."
Malhotra downplayed it. "I think you're reading into a lot," he said, adding the idea was simply "to shake things up and try new lines."
Through two games, DeBrusk has one assist on a $5,500,000 cap hit. He's been on the first power-play unit, and the Canucks are ahead by goal differential at five-on-five with him out there.
Marco Rossi slides to Elias Pettersson's wing as Aatu Räty waits
The biggest shuffle put Marco Rossi on the wing beside Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson, a spot DeBrusk often held in camp.
Rossi has three goals and four points through two games. He and Pettersson already connected on a power-play goal Thursday.
The move opens a spot for Aatu Räty. He centred Brendan Gallagher and Drew O'Connor at practice and looks closer to his regular-season debut.
Räty also held his own in a faceoff duel with his coach after practice. That matters on a team that gave up several goals off defensive-zone losses against Edmonton.
Get Räty in the lineup, just not at DeBrusk's expense. Scratching a winger who's been on the right side of the goal differential sends the wrong message after a loss the whole group owned.
Using practice lines to send a message is like leaving a note on the fridge instead of having the conversation.
Calgary visits Saturday and Vegas on Sunday, capping four games in six nights. "There's so many things that go into making a lineup," Malhotra said.
If DeBrusk sits, it becomes the first real test of whether Malhotra's shake-ups build this team or splinter it.
Should Manny Malhotra scratch Jake DeBrusk against the Flames?
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