Alexandre Burrows Highlights TSN’s Annual Trade Bait Lists

Photo Credit: Sergei Belski – USA TODAY Sports

The trade deadline is about as fun as it gets, no matter what your affiliation with the sport is. If you can book the time off work or school, it’s appointment viewing. If you can’t book the time off either, you’re suddenly struck ill — if you catch my drift.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the leading Canadian sports networks hype it up for months in advance. Nobody is more active with their cabal of insiders as TSN, though, and they’re already sending the frenzied season of roster activity into second gear.

We’re still about a month and a half away from the deadline, but that hasn’t stopped TSN from releasing their trade bait board. You can find Alexandre Burrows smack dab in the teens too. So let’s dive in.

I found it more than a little surprising to just see Burrows as the sole Canuck on that list. At a glance, it makes sense on some levels. Burrows is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and while his $4.5-million cap charge may seem trade-prohibitive, the actual cash owed Burrows for this season is closer to $2.5-million. That’s appealing to small market, budget teams.

Another reason Burrows might draw interest is that he’s playing like a legitimate middle six forward again. Playing alongside Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, Burrows has resurrected his career this season and is on pace for close to 30 points. If you can find a veteran forward that produces like a third line player on the cheap, that’s going to be appealing. Burrows is one such player. Best of all, the team that trades for Burrows won’t have to worry about factoring him into their expansion plans.

Where the Burrows rumours might hit a wall is the no-trade protection in his contract. Canucks General Manager Jim Benning has already gone on record as having no desire to move players with no-trade protection, so unless Burrows makes the request, I have a hard time seeing this happen.

Then again, maybe Burrows, who’s in the twilight of his career, wants a shot at contention. He’s not getting that in Vancouver whether he sticks it out this season or re-signs for the next. His hometown Montreal Canadiens are in the hunt. Maybe there’s a fit? Just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks, but that seems reasonable.

It’s more likely than not, though, that Burrows finishes this season a Canuck. From there, he can call his shots.