Burrows? Do We Really Need Him?

[ForsbergTheGreat]

3 hours ago, gurn said:

There is no guarantee anybody bounces back. And yes people age and slow down. With Hamhuis most likely gone, the team will need to keep veteran leaders around- Burrows can fit that role. If the Canucks draft a high scoring winger, then maybe Alex is gone, but it is truly hard to make a wrong decision here.

 

"Keep Burrows to mentor the youth."  But get rid of Etem, Vey and Grenier, send McCann and Gaunce down to the AHL. to make sure Burrows has a spot. 

 

Who are all these young players that need all this mentoring?

Bo? Baertschi?  They aren't so young anymore. Toews already was captain and heading into the post season to winning a cup at the age Bo currently is. 

 

And it's not like we don't have veteran leadership.  We have plenty of mentors, Hank, Daniel are the two best mentors on the team, Hansen has stepped up, and for some reason people want to get rid of Dorsett who has been quoted numerous amounts of times as a player that's took the young kids under his wing. 

 

 

[Boudrias]

1 hour ago, Nucksfansince91 said:

With a young core group going into next season I don't understand why you wouldn't want someone to play out the last year of a contract/resign cheaper that is a great presence in the locker room, bleeds the team, and gives 100%. Linden and the rest of the staff just need to set expectations very clear with Burrows to understand his role as a vet and his impact on the young players. Your development in the league has a lot to do with the players you are surrounded by.

Burrows is a great Canuck no argument. My issue with keeping him is all about TOI. It does come down to a choice between him and Dorsett and I have to go with Dorsett. It would leave 5 vets up front to provide leadership. Alex himself said the other night that he fully understood Van was into a rebuild and hard choices had to be made. I had hoped that Benning would be able to trade Burrows to a playoff bound Habs team at the TDL but it didn't happen. 

[Nucksfansince91]

27 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

Burrows is a great Canuck no argument. My issue with keeping him is all about TOI. It does come down to a choice between him and Dorsett and I have to go with Dorsett. It would leave 5 vets up front to provide leadership. Alex himself said the other night that he fully understood Van was into a rebuild and hard choices had to be made. I had hoped that Benning would be able to trade Burrows to a playoff bound Habs team at the TDL but it didn't happen. 

That's fair. I wouldn't be surprised if they waited until the draft to package him for a pick. 

[Boudrias]

2 hours ago, Nucksfansince91 said:

That's fair. I wouldn't be surprised if they waited until the draft to package him for a pick. 

Because of his CAP hit it is more likely he gets bought out and then is signed by another team. There is no panic in the situation and Burrows could go into camp next fall. Management might take time to make a decision to buy out or to construct a deal based on early season play of prospects.

[BowtieCanuck]

7 hours ago, DonaldBrashear said:

Burrows will go down in history as one of the heart guys of this franchise. Like Gino Odjick or Cliff Ronning or Ed Jovanovski. Class act guy. Class act, don't care what anyone says.

 

 

Agreed. I forsee the ring of honour in his future.

[Provost]

13 hours ago, \/ijay said:

I think capwise its pointless to buy out Burrows. We aren't going to up against the cap next year and buying him out would add to our cap the year after. Roster space might be limited but having him would add competition and give some security in the case of injuries. 

 

Only reason to buy him out would be as a favor to him so he can get more ice time elsewhere.

Are you really that sure we won't be a cap team next year?

There are many scenarios where we are at or near the cap.  We could trade for players from teams that are in a big cap crunch and ...like an Erhoff kind of deal.  We can sign UFAs to bolster our lineup.

 

I suspect a combination of the two and we will at best only have a little cap space to give us flexibility at the trade deadline to take on salary again if needed.

 

Don't be surprised if we see two of: Boedker; Eriksson; Stamkos; Lucic; Okposo; Schenn; Demers signing with our team in the summer.

[CaptKirk888]

5 hours ago, Provost said:

Are you really that sure we won't be a cap team next year? - Good point, despite being a team in rebuild and promoting a youth movement, I believe JB and TL still want to have a team that will compete for a playoff spot and will go after the best available UFAs or go the trade route.

There are many scenarios where we are at or near the cap.  We could trade for players from teams that are in a big cap crunch and ...like an Erhoff kind of deal.  We can sign UFAs to bolster our lineup. - See above

 

I suspect a combination of the two and we will at best only have a little cap space to give us flexibility at the trade deadline to take on salary again if needed. - Speculative, but a very possible scenario. I suspect that other teams in a cap crunch would be looking towards our prospects and young players to reduce that cap though. Given point 1 above, not sure if JB would be willing to go that route unless the return was spectacular.

 

Don't be surprised if we see two of: Boedker; Eriksson; Stamkos; Lucic; Okposo; Schenn; Demers signing with our team in the summer.  - Not out of the realm of possible. A lot of arguments against any high profile UFA wanting to sign here on this board, but why not? Yes, the team has been in decline recently but our young players are showing promise of better years to come and we have a better prospect pool than we have had in a long time. Plus the possible addition of an elite player at the draft. The players mentioned are in their mid 20s (with the exception of Eriksson and Lucic), are still young and have (hopefully) many years left in their NHL careers. If they can see the potential of our youth going forward, why not come here? when we could possibly be a contender in 2-3 years?

As for the original topic "Burrows, do we really need him?", guess it depends on what happens with above. But Burrows is still a valuable character player for any team who wants/needs a bottom six grinder with tons of heart and 100% effort who will bring a winning desire and valuable experience to the youth on that team, including the Canucks.

I personally hope he is still with the team next year, but if his role here becomes redundant, not much Burrows or fans can do about it other than move on. Where ever he ends up, I wish him the best. He has always been one of my favourites, great story of perseverance, regardless of his antics on the ice (chirper, complainer, dirty?) this guy has worked hard and loved his team.

[Kraken70]

Listened to Ray Ferraro on 1040. He makes a good point about Burrows possibly staying. I think he's absolutely correct about Burrows needing to know what his role would be, should he come back. Ever since his 2 injury plagued seasons, his role has been blurred and uncertain. He lost his role as the glue on the Sedin line, constantly moving up and down the line up, rarely staying in one spot for any length of time. He's gone from the respected heart and soul player, once beloved by all Canuck fans, to an, almost forgotten, soldier.

I think there is still a place in Vancouver for him, as long as they focus him on the right role. He has lost some of his offensive game but can still be an effective penalty killer and defensive specialist on the third or fourth line. He can also provide invaluable guidance for the young players that are making their way to the pro ranks. He has the character to understand, he's slowed a bit and needs to help with the future of the organization's next generation. I think a Jake Virtanen could learn a lot from Alex about how to use his tenacity and aggression in ways that provide maximum effectiveness for the team.

Alex Burrows bleeds Canuck blue and would, with a little clarity, provide effective service in a supportive role. 

I, for one, hope to see him still in a Canucks uniform next year.

[kloubek]

I think it's truly a tough call for management.  On one hand, it is highly unlikely he will play to his salary again and he's using up a roster spot in favour of a younger player.  On the other hand, his dedication to the team and work ethic are fantastic to help our young guys learn what is expected of them.  And it isn't like Burrows is completely useless - he is still a serviceable player.... just don't expect what we saw from him a few years ago.

I could see it going either way.  If we don't load up on at least 1 or 2 significant UFAs, then I will assume Benning doesn't believe we can compete for the cup in the short term, and as a result we really have no reason to move Burrows to clear cap space.  In that case, I say we end up keeping him.  But if Benning was happy with the progress of our young guys and believes that with a couple excellent UFAs and a high draft pick that we can compete for the cup again, then it is an even harder situation.  You know he'd battle hard in the playoffs for us and his experience would be useful, but if we require his cap space in order to make room for a high profile UFA, then you gotta think that would take preference.

 

Should be an interesting offseason to say the least. 

[DSVII]

Don't buy him out. he has one year left. Let him play it out, retire a canuck and teach the kids.

 

And if you need to get rid of him, eat his cap and offload him to another team. DON'T BUY HIM OUT.

[Stierlitz]

Vancouver Canucks ‏@VanCanucks 3h3 hours ago

Linden said he can see Burrows and Hamhuis being back next season. "Talk to our young players, they know the importance of these veterans".

[Nuxfanabroad]

Love Burr, & all this guy represents. That said, would like to see lots of kids(the next wave) advance, with open slots to fill.

 

Retain 2 mill(out of appreciation to the "dragon slayer"), & send him to a decent org. Then if you paired him with a good prospect, might possibly land a key player.

[snucks]

If they keep the coaches they have and they keep Burrows, he will again be stifled as they try to "bring along the young guys". playing Alex on every line, and not where he would be best. I think WD will do it again, find a way to keep Vey and build him into a super star. That "process" made the worse season ever for Canuck fans. Burrows and the Sedins won't say it but they know whats wrong. For Burrows sake he would be better off with the Habs.

 

In any case the Canucks got a real character player with Burrows and they didn't pay him what he was worth.

[aGENT]

18 minutes ago, snucks said:

If they keep the coaches they have and they keep Burrows, he will again be stifled as they try to "bring along the young guys". playing Alex on every line, and not where he would be best. I think WD will do it again, find a way to keep Vey and build him into a super star. That "process" made the worse season ever for Canuck fans. Burrows and the Sedins won't say it but they know whats wrong.

ok

[Green Building]

Even though obviously nothing is confirmed, it was nice to hear WD speak about the lack of insight fans have toward dressing room goings on. Burr has value that goes beyond the ice, the question JB will be asking himself is when does his declining play override that value. I'd love to have Burr back so we don't strip all vets off the team, but he has to fit, and it has to make sense with what JB wants to build. Would Burr be content as an extra forward if a replacement stands out in camp?  

 

Or might he be one of the many players JB is on the phone about these days? 

[Baggins]

11 hours ago, snucks said:

If they keep the coaches they have and they keep Burrows, he will again be stifled as they try to "bring along the young guys". playing Alex on every line, and not where he would be best. I think WD will do it again, find a way to keep Vey and build him into a super star. That "process" made the worse season ever for Canuck fans. Burrows and the Sedins won't say it but they know whats wrong. For Burrows sake he would be better off with the Habs.

 

In any case the Canucks got a real character player with Burrows and they didn't pay him what he was worth.

Like when they put Vey through waivers last year?

[RUPERTKBD]

On 4/11/2016 at 2:29 PM, DonaldBrashear said:

Burrows will go down in history as one of the heart guys of this franchise. Like Gino Odjick or Cliff Ronning or Ed Jovanovski. Class act guy. Class act, don't care what anyone says.

I don't think too many people would argue with that, Brash. I too like the guy and have nothing but respect for how he got here and what he did for the franchise, but I think he just might become a victim of the numbers. There is only so much room on the roster and I believe the organization will prioritize youth.

 

Personally, if Burr is bought out, I love to see him sign for a year or two with a contender (preferably in the east) where he can have one last shot at the big prize.

[aGENT]

10 hours ago, Green Building said:

Burr has value that goes beyond the ice, the question JB will be asking himself is when does his declining play override that value.

Agree with the first point. He absolutely does have value beyond on the ice. You'll find very few people who'd argue that (and they're not likely worth listening too anyway  ).

 

I think the question JB will be asking himself is when does that value cease to override losing valuable young guys on waivers and/or restricting their playing time, development etc.

 

 

[Green Building]

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

Agree with the first point. He absolutely does have value beyond on the ice. You'll find very few people who'd argue that (and they're not likely worth listening too anyway  ).

 

I think the question JB will be asking himself is when does that value cease to override losing valuable young guys on waivers and/or restricting their playing time, development etc.

 

 

Were I to have applied more thought to my post before beer-typing my thoughts out they would have included not just what I said, but what you added. I agree with your additions, but also agree with my second point as well, you just elaborated on it with much more detail for me.

 

 

[Watermelons]

Nice tidbit on Burrows in Friedman's recent 30 thoughts article.

 

Favourite Alex Burrows story from Vancouver: during Mike Gillis’s first season, the Canucks went through a long losing streak and the knives were out for Alain Vigneault. Gillis didn’t want to do it, so they had meetings with every coach and player to figure out what was going on. Burrows was one of the few playing well at the time, so they told him he should be satisfied with his play. The response: “Satisfaction is the first step to regret.” Love that.

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-picking-nhl-award-winners/