Jake DeBrusk's stance on a Canucks rebuild hasn't changed

Jake DeBrusk still doesn't want to be part of a Canucks rebuild, according to The Fourth Period.

The report, passed along by NHL Rumour Report, says the winger's mindset hasn't changed since the trade talk started. He holds a full no-movement clause, which means any deal only happens if he signs off on it.

This has been building for more than a week. It started when Chris Johnston's report on the Canucks selling put DeBrusk's deal at the center of the conversation.

Last night he gave Vancouver something to talk about on the ice. DeBrusk scored twice in a 5-4 loss to the Ducks, one of them on the power play, in 19:26 of ice time.

He has 5 goals and 10 points in 15 games this season, with a -3 rating. Those are the kind of numbers that make a contending general manager pick up the phone, even on a team that's losing nightly.

The Fourth Period's report adds that DeBrusk is open to various destinations despite owning that clause.

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Why the no-movement clause gives DeBrusk control

The clause is what makes this different from a normal sell-off. Vancouver can shop him, but the final call belongs to the player, and an open list of destinations widens the market considerably.

His cap hit is $5.5 million through 2030-31, which is a long runway for a buyer. Ryan Johnson was already named in The Fourth Period's list of four Canucks veterans he's open to moving.

The standings explain why the Canucks have little reason to wait. Vancouver is 3-13-1, last in the NHL, with a 1-8-1 mark over its last 10 games and a goal differential of -26.

Waiting makes little sense. DeBrusk is producing now, he has told teams he's willing to move, and Johnson won't find a better moment to sell a 30-year-old forward on a roster going nowhere.

The Canucks play at Winnipeg on Thursday, where DeBrusk will be in the lineup again while the questions over his future carry on.

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