Vancouver Canucks – Chicago Blackhawks
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.
Burrows’ contract does not expire until next summer, so the Canucks would likely have to retain some salary.
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.
As we all know, Burrows is not the most popular player around the league. However, that agitator role can be an important one in the postseason, making Burrows a great bottom-six option in the playoffs. He also has 19 goals and 34 points in 70 playoff contests.
Next: The Bottom Line