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Vancouver Canucks set to scratch more top-six forwards following Jake DeBrusk's trip to the stands


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Edward Jaxon
January 1, 2026  (4:59 PM)
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Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images

The Vancouver Canucks could end up scratching more top-six forwards in the weeks ahead following Jake DeBrusk's trip to the stands on Monday night in Seattle.

It's been a tough season for the Vancouver Canucks as they find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference and NHL's overall standings as we enter the New Year.
In an attempt to spark his team, Adam Foote made forward Jake DeBrusk a healthy scratch for their trip to Seattle earlier this week, something the winger called an embarrassing moment for himself amid his second season with the Vancouver Canucks organization.
"It's embarrassing. I mean, anytime you miss a game, it's, yeah, it's embarrassing. I'd be wrong if I wasn't saying I'd be pissed off right now, but I understand. And I need a jolt too, I obviously haven't been good enough. Anytime that you're in this position, it's lots of things. So, you know, I gotta control what I can do from this point forward and just worry about me. I think there's a lot of different things. The good thing about this situation, in my previous times being scratched, you have a clean slate. So I care less about what has happened." DeBrusk said.

Others around Jake DeBrusk have struggled too this season and haven't played up to expectations and if their play continues to trend downward, we could see more veterans scratched by the coaching staff.

Vancouver Canucks could scratch more top-six forwards after Jake DeBrusk's trip to the stands

During a recent edition of Sekeres and Price, Jeff Paterson from Rink Wide: Vancouver discussed the possibility of the Canucks scratching some of their other veteran players and those who are supposed to bring secondary scoring, but haven't this season.
While Paterson says that it's a possibility and those veteran wingers have to be "on notice" following DeBrusk's scratch on Monday, it doesn't help with how weak the Canucks have been down the middle with David Kampf, Lukas Reichel and even Nils Aman getting time in the top-six at points this season.
"I think once the shot is across the bow to a veteran [Jake DeBrusk], I think all veterans have to be on notice and if it happens to Brock Boeser, Brock can't sit there and say 'I'm shocked, I didn't see this coming'. He just watched a guy that's basically in the same sort of slump as he is. A guy that is paid in the same ballpark and a guy who is expected to do what Brock Boeser is supposed to do. I mean it's come to that for Brock and it's unfortunate and as I've said and I said on Rink Wide too, with all these struggling wingers, context matters here and you do have to give them a little leeway with the idea that these are not independent play drivers, they're not guys that go and get the puck and skate it the length of the ice and do all the heavy lifting." Paterson said.

He added, "They need help from the guy in the middle and they have played with David Kampf, they played with Lukas Reichel, they have at times with Nils Aman, who has got a couple games up here in the National Hockey League. So it hasn't been exactly a who's who at the center ice position and I think the struggles of the wingers just underscores how weak the Canucks have been down the middle, we all know it, I know the organization knows it, but it's sort of coming home to roost now with all these veteran wingers that have gone forever without putting the puck in the net."
Zoning in on Brock Boeser for a second, he hasn't scored a goal since November 28th against the San Jose Sharks - 14 games without putting the puck in the back of the net and for someone like him, who has six 20+ goal seasons in the NHL, it's not good enough and it certainly feels like he could be the next Canucks forward to find himself scratched by Adam Foote in the near future.
POLL
JANVIER 1|1553 ANSWERS
Vancouver Canucks set to scratch more top-six forwards following Jake DeBrusk's trip to the stands

Which underperforming Vancouver Canucks forward do you think is more likely to be scratched next?

Brock Boeser69844.9 %
Evander Kane69244.6 %
Jake DeBrusk (again)16310.5 %
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