Vancouver Canucks Daily Rumblings: Evander Kane Not Worth the Risk

The Vancouver Canucks may be in search for a middle-six scorer, but is Evander Kane really the right choice?

With Dan Hamhuis‘s departure to Dallas, the Vancouver Canucks lost their favorite BC native. So bringing Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane home would be a great move, right? Well, I’m not too sure about that.

Also, Alex Burrows sees himself playing a bigger role this year than most would expect. Is he still good enough to play in the top six?

I looked into that in our daily rumblings! Don’t forget to share your own thoughts in the comments!

Alex Burrows isn’t coming to play on the fourth line

Ben Kuzma — The Province: Alex Burrows is the ultimate NHL survivor

“That’s the approach I had last year. I want to have fun, but I want to compete. I still feel I can play. My body is really healthy right now and I really don’t have any hip issues like I did in the past. I really feel if I can come to camp and earn a spot, I can be a good factor. I can see myself playing with Hank (Henrik Sedin) or Bo (Horvat) or (Brandon) Sutter, and if I can be on one of those three lines, I know I can contribute in a positive way.”

“If I can be on one of those three lines, I know I can contribute in a positive way.” One of those three lines.

There is no doubt that Alex Burrows would likely score more goals if he played on a line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin again. The line likely wouldn’t be nearly as productive as it can be with Loui Eriksson, but Burrows would have better individual stats than he would on the fourth line.

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The same goes for the Brandon Sutter and Bo Horvat lines that he mentioned. With winger Sven Baertschi, Jannik Hansen and Anton Rodin penciled in on the wings, the two middle-six lines have some nice scoring potential. Of course Burrows wants to be a part of that.

But yet, most people see Burrows on the fourth line with Markus Granlund and Derek Dorsett, with Emerson Etem switching in and out of the lineup. The last spot in the middle six would be filled with either Jake Virtanen or another free-agent signing — like Jiri Hudler or Vadim Shipachyov.

Now here comes the part I don’t quite understand. After the season he has had, Burrows must know that his No. 1 task is not scoring goals anymore. He is there to provide two-way ability and leadership in whichever role he is given. So why would he feel that he can only “contribute in a positive way” if he plays in the top nine?

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Burrows get some time in the middle six, especially if Rodin doesn’t make the team — which is still an option. But we have to agree, Burrows is not a top-six player anymore, and he would find himself on the fourth line with many other teams as well. This was just an odd statement to make.

Evander Kane a risk worth taking?

Daniel MacDonald — Today’s Slapshot: Evander Kane joining Canucks would be high-risk, high-reward

Perhaps never has a player needed to come home more than Vancouver’s Evander Kane appears to right now.

When you say Evander Kane would be a high-risk acquisition, I certainly agree. When you say there is also a high reward, I have a hard time believing that. The reason is not Kane, but former NCAA football star Johnny Manziel.

Before you continue reading, I just want to make sure this is clear: I am not comparing Kane and Manziel. The latter is simply the reason why I have doubts about young athletes who are reported to have ‘attitude problems’.

Whenever there were reports about young athletes ‘being caught’ partying or anything like that — any kind of ‘attitude problems’ — I would say: “give him a break. He’s young and he’ll manage.” As a 19-year-old, I can only imagine what my life would be like if I were a first-round draft pick in whichever sport, having to watch my every step so I don’t tap into some kind of ‘scandal’.

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So when Johnny Manziel dropped in the 2014 NHL Draft and the Cleveland Browns picked him up, I was sure they got a great player. What followed was a fine for ‘flipping the bird’ in a preseason match, a summer in rehab, throwing a water bottle at a fan, and the list goes on and on. Still, for the longest time, especially after checking himself into rehab, I thought his off-field issues would eventually subside and he would become a great football player. I finally changed my mind when Manziel’s marketing agency decided to stop working with him, 27-year NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus stopped working with him after just two months, and the NFL suspended him once again for the beginning of the 2016 season.

Now, obviously, Evander Kane’s ‘off-ice issues’ cannot quite be compared to Manziel’s. But from assault charges to showcasing his wealth on social media, Kane has been in the media a lot — and not for good reasons.

Before everything that happened with Manziel, I would have just looked at Kane as a player who scored 20 goals last season. If being on a team with veteran leaders like the Sedins and Burrows can’t help, what can? But after everything that happened with Manziel, I’m not so sure anymore.

Next: Better Canucks Fit: Kane vs. Hartnell

Once a player puts himself into a situation like Kane’s, every tiny wrong move ends up being a headline in newspapers. I’m just not sure if what he brings to the team on the ice is worth the trouble he could bring off it. Coming to the rink in a track suit probably isn’t all that scandalous, but we now know what happens when someone does it in the NHL. Little things like that bring trouble nobody wants.

So, do the Canucks want that on their team?