The Fork in the Road

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What road do you think the Canucks should, or need to, take?

Major rebuild
6
15%
Minor rebuild
5
13%
Significant retooling (5 or more roster spots)
14
36%
Minor retooling (4 or less roster spots)
10
26%
Minor tweak (this is a contender with some minor depth issues)
4
10%
 
Total votes: 39

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Strangelove
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Blob Mckenzie wrote: In the real world the team would be lucky to divest itself of his contract for a mid round pick or a prospect.
-100
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mathonwy
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by mathonwy »

dbr wrote:
mathonwy wrote:And today, in a season where Burr is having the worst luck, you're referring to one of our cornerstone players that has played a massive role in the last 5 years in positioning our team amongst the top 5 teams in the league as a "hair pulling french bitch."

What have you done for me lately right?
I would say that in 3 of the last 5 (or 3 of the last 4.5) seasons he's been what you're describing.

We're in the second season where he is not that player.

Is it entirely due to injuries? If the team gamble that it is - AND that those injury problems will clear up (I feel like I'm talking about David Booth in early 2012 here) and they are wrong, they will wear that mistake.

Back when we all thought he was a third or fourth liner, Burrows had a season with something like 3 goals and when he came to camp next year AV told him he'd be out of the league soon if he kept it up. If he manages another 3 goal season while being paid to contribute as a top six player I can't imagine his fate with this team will be much different.. or at least, as a fan who wants management to recognize that a few major changes might be necessary, he seems like an extraordinarily easy candidate.
I don't disagree with anything you say dbr as you will notice that nowhere in any of my posts do I advocate to NOT trade Burr. What I'm debating with ol Blobby is Burr's worth (and calling out Blobby's obvious dislike for frenchie).

The whole team has let me / everyone down in a VERY BIG way this season and with that type of disappointment comes consequences. I understand that. However, like HW mentioned in her post, we all watch pretty much all of the Canuck games and we fixate on the warts. Booth and Burr both having craptacular years? GIVE EM AWAY FOR A BAG OF PUCKS!! Players having shitty years happen to every single team and the Canucks aren't special in that fact.

In my opinion, Burr has more value than most here give him because of everything I stated. I'm not a hockey expert but I HAVE watched a lot of hockey and Burr's puck luck this year has been unbelievably bad. And it also isn't like Burr is pulling a Heatley and floating around. He's still working hard (almost too hard) and for some weird cosmic reason, the puck just ain't going in for him and his troubles are magnified due to the Sedins also having a very bad season.

Yes, Burr's salary is pretty horrible for what the team is getting from him this season. But that's on Mike Gillis as I believe that Burr is trying his best to contribute to the team.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Island Nucklehead wrote: The thing is, anything resembling production from Burrows could help our PP, and it could get Daniel out of his funk.
Why the FUCK would it be on Burrows to get Daniel out of his funk! :crazy:

If anything, shouldn't that be the other way around?

As for the #1 PP, it's common knowledge that Burrows has seldom been a participant of dat dere.

As a matter of fact, for most of his career, Burrows wasn't even first choice if one of Sedins/Kess were injured.

Hell, as recently as 2010-11 any one of these players would get the nod before Burrows:

Samuelsson... Raymond... Jeff Fucking Tambellini... and often Higgins.

From that season and going further back in time, Burrows was pretty much a #3 PP unit kinda guy.

It's only been this season and last year's shortened season that he began to get a bit of a sniff on the #1 PP.

By no stretch of the imagination would one call him a regular.

And here you're putting it on him to fix the PP... and fix Daniel. :lol:

Island Nucklehead wrote: We weren't a high scoring team when Burrows was producing regularly, when he's not we're easily one of the weakest teams in the league offensively.
So Burrows is key? :mex:
Island Nucklehead wrote: That $8.75M Burrows and Booth are eating through this season would be far better served having...
After all Burrows has done for this team you should be ashamed of yourself for lumping him in with Booth. :scowl:


.
Last edited by Strangelove on Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Island Nucklehead wrote: If he was putting up close to 30 goals, $4.5M would still be a steal. As it is, his contract is one of the worst on the team relative to production.
Well going into this season, Burr has been at a "close to 30 goals" pace

... ever since the summer of 2008 in fact.

So he goes from hero to zero in 28 games??

"A steal" to "the worst"... in 28 games?? :roll:

Burrows has made a career out of proving folks wrong.

Yer about to be one of em. :mex:
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

dbr wrote:
mathonwy wrote: And today, in a season where Burr is having the worst luck, you're referring to one of our cornerstone players that has played a massive role in the last 5 years in positioning our team amongst the top 5 teams in the league as a "hair pulling french bitch."

What have you done for me lately right?
I would say that in 3 of the last 5 (or 3 of the last 4.5) seasons he's been what you're describing.

We're in the second season where he is not that player.
These "two seasons" you are referring to amount to just 75 games played Dave.

I would point out that Burrows was coming back from serious injury for a good chunk of those 75 games.

I would also point out that he led the team in goal-scoring last season (hey, he's usually right up there).

This despite the fact he spent a good chunk of that season away from the Sedins.

Sure his production is going to tail off in his old age.

But I'm looking for a sucker who'll bet he won't improve on this particular season going forward.

If I'm Gillis, I bet on Burrows turning it around.

Hey if he loses that bet, he's still got one of the best penalty-killers in the game on his 3rd line.

Sure he might be one of the highest paid 3rd-liners in the league, but what's a million dollars or so.

Personally I'd be okay with that, but I don't think Gillis loses that bet...
Last edited by Strangelove on Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Boothows
If you need air...call it in
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Blob Mckenzie wrote: I think it is great how he overcame so much adversity and battled his way thought the Q undrafted, into the ECHL and the Moose and got a contract and in the process turned himself into a good hockey player.
:thumbs:
Blob Mckenzie wrote: I would be jumping for joy if a team took his contract off the Canucks hands for a 2nd rounder as it would allow the team a lot more cap flexibility. Buyout Booth and ship Lou to Florida and they have real cap space. I guess a guy can dream.
And tell me Blob, what would you do with all that cap space? :mex:

No good having cap space unless you're gonna spend it on good bang-for-the-buck players.

Booth is dead-weight and Luongo's contract sucks.

Burrows is merely overpaid IF the scoring woes continue, still a great 3rd line player though...
Last edited by Strangelove on Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Uncle dans leg wrote:Boothows
C-word.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Strangelove wrote:
Uncle dans leg wrote:Boothows
C-word.
Oh you know you wanted it...
If you need air...call it in
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by mathonwy »

Island Nucklehead wrote: That $8.75M Burrows and Booth are eating through this season would be far better served having Tortorella's former whipping boy Gaborik for the 1/2 season he's usually healthy. At least you'd get some goals... Dany Heatley, for all the talk of his awful season, is still producing more (for less$$) than those two.
Are you kidding me?

You'd rather have fucking look-at-me-wrong-and-i-get-injured Gaborik over Burrows and Booth?

Or Dany Heatley???

Fucking check your head man. I can't think of two WORST examples.

:?
---

Edit. Ok I just did. Rick Dipietro, Alexei Yashin or Scott Gomez. Touche sir. Touche.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Strangelove »

Uncle dans leg wrote:
Strangelove wrote:
Uncle dans leg wrote:Boothows
C-word.
Oh you know you wanted it...
Truth.

*gets up on one elbow, lights cigarette*
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by ClamRussel »

Strangelove wrote:
Blob Mckenzie wrote: I think it is great how he overcame so much adversity and battled his way thought the Q undrafted, into the ECHL and the Moose and got a contract and in the process turned himself into a good hockey player.
:thumbs:
Blob Mckenzie wrote: I would be jumping for joy if a team took his contract off the Canucks hands for a 2nd rounder as it would allow the team a lot more cap flexibility. Buyout Booth and ship Lou to Florida and they have real cap space. I guess a guy can dream.
And tell me Blob, what would you do with all that cap space? :mex:

No good having cap space unless you're gonna spend it on good bang-for-the-buck players.

Booth is dead-weight and Luongo's contract sucks.

Burrows is merely overpaid IF the scoring woes continue, still a great 3rd line player though...
Burrows, he'll turn it around. His best offence days are behind him but he's still by far one of our top defensive players. He's miscast as a first line guy... He's there because he's one of the few players who clicks w/ the twins (they've gone AWOL this year as well) and he's basically their defensive conscience.

Trade Lu? Ya, right. We've got one of the better goalies in the league at a reasonable price tag. I'll pass on that plan.

Booth, now that guyz gots to go!
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Diehard1 »

Burr I keep, at least for next season, assuming he wants to stay that is. He's afforded some rope given his last few years and producing big goals in the playoffs. Yes he's been awful this year by his standards but he's also missed 11 weeks of the season with injury. I give him some time.

Booth can go, just a dumb hockey player. Can't play D, can't score, he's essentially a borderline 3rd liner that is paid like a 1st or 2nd liner. He will be bought out this offseason.
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by Topper »

Strangelove wrote:Burrows has made a career out of proving folks wrong.
Yes, and still doing so.

Burrows value topped out after his leadership role on Team Canada in the World Championships in 2012 (Canada lost to the Slovaks LOL).
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Re: The Fork in the Road

Post by dbr »

Strangelove wrote:These "two seasons" you are referring to amount to just 75 games played Dave.
75 GP for Burrows. 107 games in which the team needed contributions from everyone if it was going to win consistently.
I would point out that Burrows was coming back from serious injury for a good chunk of those 75 games.
Sure. Fair enough. If we're going to give everyone as much leash as our bleeding hearts lead us to believe they deserve, then sure.

But it reaches a point where a franchise can no longer make moves based on good will and past glory. Are we there with Burrows? I don't know. Personally I doubt his trade value is high (with a season where he's paid $5m cash left on the books) so I could see taking a gamble that he will be neither injured, nor "coming back from serious injury" nor any other excuse for middling-to-poor production for his cap hit.

Mason Raymond was recovering from a serious injury when the Canucks took him to cut down arbitration, too.
I would also point out that he led the team in goal-scoring last season (hey, he's usually right up there).

This despite the fact he spent a good chunk of that season away from the Sedins.

Sure his production is going to tail off in his old age.
I don't know if leading the 2012-13 Canucks in goal scoring is a feather in anyone's cap, but he was pretty adequate last year. Certainly well worth the $2m spent.
But I'm looking for a sucker who'll bet he won't improve on this particular season going forward.
Keep looking - I don't know of anyone off hand who cares about the content of the posts attached to their name who'd make a bet like that. (So, try RoyalDude?)
If I'm Gillis, I bet on Burrows turning it around.

Hey if he loses that bet, he's still got one of the best penalty-killers in the game on his 3rd line.

Sure he might be one of the highest paid 3rd-liners in the league, but what's a million dollars or so.

Personally I'd be okay with that, but I don't think Gillis loses that bet...
Well what's "turning it around" though, right? You can bet on Burrows "turning it around" (ie. blowing his 0 goal pace this year out of the water) and still lose another bet wherein Burrows has to deliver sufficient value for his paycheque.

With this player I'm of the mind that "sure his production is going to tail off in his old age" and that he's certainly been a key part of the team in the past - I doubt his trade value is anywhere near what it would have to be for him to be the type of guy you deal to kickstart a rebuild anyway, but if this team is looking to address some major issues and needs cap space to do it, Alex Burrows at $4.5m with declining production is probably pretty replaceable when you have guys like Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen making nearly half as much and offering similar contributions.

Furthermore if you're looking to get bigger and younger in the offseason, Mr. "sure his production is going to tail off," at six years older than the league average for forwards, 1" shorter and 15 lbs lighter, sure seems like low hanging fruit to me.

He's hanging a lot lower than our other smallish old guys anyway.

Ultimately, my bet: unless he's one the guys who waives his NTC, Burrows is here next year and the team is betting he bounces back high enough to contribute meaningfully. Hell if they can find a way to address the top six I'd love to have Alex as the two-way conscience of a third line featuring a promising young player or two.
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