Unsure of his future after last season, Burrows back contributing for Canucks

After the Canucks decided to hold onto Burrows this summer, he started the season in a checking and mentoring role, averaging less than 12 minutes a night.

But with Jannik Hansen out injured, former first-round pick Jake Virtanen banished to the press box and eventually the AHL, and the club mired in an ugly nine-game losing streak, Vancouver promoted Burrows to a top-6 role alongside Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi on Nov. 8.

Burrows would score twice against the New York Rangers — his first two points of the season — to help snap the skid. He has four goals and six assists in the 12 games since the switch for the Canucks, who are 7-4-1 over that span.

Burrows had just nine goals and 13 assists all of last season.

“I learned a long time ago things can change really quick in this business,” Burrows said last week in the same locker-room at Rogers Arena where he pondered his future eight months earlier. “It felt like it could have been my last game — yes, it was a possibility.

“Management made the decision to bring me back. That was up to them. Right now I just want to continue helping the team succeed.”

It’s hard to know for certain if Horvat, who tops the Canucks with eight goals and is tied for the points lead at 16, and Baertschi have been the ones to spark Burrows, or whether it’s the other way around.

Baertschi has four goals and five assists since the line was put together — he sat out two game because of injury — including six points (three goals, three assists) in his last five outings after registering just two assists over the season’s first 13 contests.

“I thought at the start maybe it was Burrows helping them a little bit more,” said Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins. “But they’re so hungry. Those two guys want to be hungry every shift. I think that excites Burrows when he gets to play with guys like that.”

Burrows said things are clicking because the line is on the same page at both ends of the rink.

“Bo and Sven are great players,” said Burrows. “The biggest thing is their will get better, will to win and drive the bus. We’re getting on the scoresheet right now, but we can’t be satisfied.”

Horvat said it’s nice to see Burrows, who once scored 35 goals while playing on a line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, back contributing after a tough couple of seasons.

“I think a lot of people were doubting him and wondering if he was getting too old or too slow, but he’s proven everybody wrong again,” said the 21-year-old Horvat. “It seems like he’s had to do that through his whole career — prove everybody wrong — and he continues to keep doing that.”

Desjardins wasn’t sure where Burrows would fit in when he showed up at training camp in September, but he’s been pleasantly surprised as Vancouver (11-12-2) opens a five-game road trip in New Jersey on Tuesday.

“I’m excited that that’s how he’s doing,” said the coach. “Alex does all the things you want a Canuck to do. When a guy does that, you want him to get rewarded and you want him to play well. It’s kind of a perfect storm.

“He’s a great teammate and now he’s playing great.”

Note: The Canucks announced Monday that forward Derek Dorsett will undergo neck surgery in Los Angeles to repair disc degeneration. The 29-year-old is expected to make a full recovery, but there is no timeline for his return to the ice.

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Unsure of his future after last season, Burrows back contributing for Canucks

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