Vancouver Canucks F Alex Burrows is Willing to Waive NTC

If the Vancouver Canucks want to get rid of Alex Burrows, the forward would be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

The Vancouver Canucks disappointed on retro night, losing 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the worst team in the NHL. That game might have been the last chance for the Canucks to prove that they can be a playoff team — as they would have gone on a three-game winning streak — and they failed.

With that, the rumour mill likely won’t slow down before the deadline. Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata should be the club’s main trade baits, but there is another long-time Canuck who could be let go: Alex Burrows.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines, Burrows would be willing to waive his no-trade clause if that is where the club wants to go.

Burrows, 34, spent his entire professional career in the Canucks organization. In 2003, he joined the Columbia Inferno, the Canucks’ former ECHL affiliate, and later their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. His minor league performance then earned him an NHL deal with the Canucks, and Burrows grew into a Canucks legend and fan favourite.

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Just like any agitator, Burrows is the kind of player you love to have on your team but hate when he plays against your team. He might not be quite as bad as Brad Marchand, but most NHL fans will hate him about as much as Canucks fans hate Marchand. It’s the way it is.

However, Burrows also knows how to play offence. In 740 games for the Canucks, Burrows has 182 goals and 358 points. In the 2009-10 campaign, the right winger recorded 35 goals and 67 points along with 121 penalty minutes. A player like that can help any team in their fight for the playoffs.

Obviously, Burrows is declining. He is nothing more than a third liner for the Canucks, and he likely wouldn’t be anything more than that on most other teams. So far this season, Burrows has seven goals and 16 points in 52 games.

That does not mean he can’t help a playoff team, though. Scoring, grit and experience are all important factors in the playoffs, and Burrows brings exactly that to the table.

But how much are teams willing to pay?

As opposed to Vrbata and Hamhuis, Burrows would not be a pure rental. Back in 2013, he signed a four-year contract extension with a cap hit of $4.5 million. For 2016-17, his salary will be down to $3 million, but the high cap hit could be a problem for contending teams. Will the Canucks have to retain part of his salary?

In my 3 Trade Proposals that Make a Lot of Sense, I suggested a Burrows trade to the Chicago Blackhawks in return for a second-round pick.

"Why the Canucks should do it: It is a similar story as that of Vrbata. Burrows is taking up a roster spot that could and probably should be Virtanen’s.The Blackhawks don’t have any prospects that would fit in this trade, so a pick will have to do. Burr would be missed, but if we simply look at him as a player instead of a person with a great history in Vancouver (the NHL is a business after all), he is expandable.Why the Blackhawks should do it: Burrows is still a good skater, he still possesses good puck skills and he still knows how to put the puck in the net, even though he doesn’t do that as frequently as he used to anymore. A third-round pick is not much, and the Blackhawks want to do anything to keep their dynasty alive and win another Stanley Cup.Burrows can certainly be compared to Phoenix Coyote Antoine Vermette, who helped the Hawks to a Stanley Cup last year. He would play a small, yet important role somewhere in the bottom six."

Burrows’ leadership might be worth more than a draft pick for the Canucks, but he probably is not for a team like the Blackhawks.

Whatever Jim Benning‘s plan might be — if he even has a plan — at least we know Burrows would be willing to go. Who wouldn’t want to win a Stanley Cup?

Next: Why the Stamkos Rumours Are Unrealistic

What do you think? Should the Vancouver Canucks explore trade options for Burrows? Where could he go and for what return? Let us know in the comments!