Alex Burrows

Burrows failed to make much of a fantasy impact in 2015-16, notching nine goals and 22 points in 79 games. While the veteran did contribute 49 PIM, he saw his average power-play time dip to 1:56 after averaging over two minutes of man advantage time in the previous four seasons. The 35-year-old can still be a decent impact player for the Canucks, but his days of being a sought after fantasy player are over. The emergence of youngsters such as Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen and Sven Baertschi, in addition to the offseason acquisition of Loui Eriksson, will only push Burrows further down the depth chart. Look for the former 35-goal-scorer to improve slightly on his totals from last season, but don’t expect anything crazy, as he’ll likely be locked into a bottom-six role.

After recording just five goals in an injury-riddled 2013-14 campaign, Burrows bounced back last season, scoring 18 goals and adding 15 assists in 70 games. While the 34-year-old lost his spot on the top line with the Sedin twins to newcomer Radim Vrbata, Burrows still notched four power-play tallies and contributed a fantasy-relevant 68 PIM. After posting four straight seasons around the 30-goal mark, Burrows has regressed over the last three years, partly due to the fact he has missed 45 games due to injury in the last two. Burrows is likely to slot on the second line in 2015-16 alongside new center Brandon Sutter, a versatile two-way player who's coming off a career-high 21-goal campaign in Pittsburgh. Burrows remains a lethal sniper, and if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to climb back into the 20-goal range while offering healthy PIM totals in a top-six role.

Burrows is one of many Canucks who had an awful 2013-2014 campaign. Hampered by injuries, the 33-year-old managed only 15 points (five goals) in 49 games. Burrows posted a career-low minus-9 rating and saw his shooting percentage drop to a horrific 4.8 percent, but perhaps most notably, it took the formerly-consistent 20-goal scorer (and one time 35-goal guy) some 35 games to score his first marker in 2013-2014. The Canucks' offseason signing of Radim Vrbata looks like a clear signal that Burrows may have lost his spot on the Canucks’ top line, which might prevent a full bounce-back from materializing. With no Ryan Kesler on the second line, it’s likely Burrows will struggle offensively without any elite playmakers to feed him the puck. Ten or 15 goals are still a possibility, but a return to 50 points seems too much to ask for.

While his scoring pace dropped below 0.60 points per game for the first time since the 2007-08 season, Burrows still managed to provide fantasy owners with solid overall value last year. He finished the 2012-13 campaign with 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists), a plus-15 rating and 54 penalty minutes. The drop in point production can be partially attributed to his shooting percentage of 9.52 percent, which is well below the 15.9 percent he averaged over the previous four seasons. Pucks should start to bounce his way again next year, but his total point production is somewhat limited due to his lack of playmaking abilities. Still, Burrows will continue to line up alongside either the duo of Henrik and Daniel Sedin, or Ryan Kesler, putting him in a prime position to post another strong plus-minus rating. And the gritty winger also remains a consistent source of penalty minutes. At 32, Burrows may be past his prime, but he still possesses enough across-the-board production to be a valuable contributor in most formats.

Burrows once again put together a solid offensive campaign, finishing with 52 points, the second highest total of his career. He also shook off concerns that his penalty minute totals would continue to drop by climbing from 77 minutes in the sin bin in 2010-11 to 90 last season. While he doesn’t possess the natural goal-scoring skills needed to be a perennial 35-goal scorer like he was in 2009-10, Burrows is a ferocious competitor who gets to skate with two of the best playmakers (the Sedin Twins) on the planet. Given his spot on the Canucks’ top line, look for Burrows to continue being a strong source of plus-minus while offering enough point production to be a solid option in many formats. And, if you’re in a league that rewards penalty minutes, give him a boost in your rankings. He suffered a minor head injury during the IIHF World Championships while playing for Team Canada this spring, but a quick return just two days later is a good sign he’ll be fine for training camp.

After missing the first 10 games of the 2010-11 season with a shoulder injury, Burrows returned to post numbers we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the gritty winger, finishing with 26 goals, 22 assists and a plus-26 rating in 72 games. His penalty-minute production dropped to 77 minutes, though, marking his lowest total in a full regular season. Given the Canucks’ increased reliance on Burrows’ offensive production, the drop in penalty minutes will likely stick, but that drop in production has more than made up for the increased point-production he sees while skating on the Canucks’ top line with the Sedin twins.

Burrows built upon his breakout in the second half of the 2008-09 season, becoming a legit offensive force for the Canucks last season. The 29-year-old winger led the team with 35 goals while dishing out a career-best 32 assists and racking up 121 penalty minutes. The gritty winger underwent shoulder surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum that plagued him for the stretch run and the playoffs last year. His status for the start of the season is still in question; so keep tabs on his rehab before investing a high pick on him.

Burrows was yet another surprise producer for the Canucks last season. Formerly a member of the third line alongside Ryan Kesler, Burrows saw a spike in production after being promoted to the top line to skate with the Sedin twins. After totaling only 11 goals and 11 assists in the first four months of the season, Burrows notched 17 goals and 12 assists in 28 games while on the first line. He also remained one of the top sources of penalty minutes in the league, racking up 150 minutes in the sin bin. The offseason hasn't been all roses for Burrows, though. He had a bone chip removed from his wrist and is currently dealing with the ramifications from an off-the-ice altercation. Neither is expected to come into play once the pucks drop, so make sure you target him in drafts.

The energetic right winger is heading into the final year of a three-year deal he signed in 2006. His role as agitator results in a bountiful of penalty minutes, but he still shows a nose for scoring while not in the sin bin. Burrows had career highs of 179 penalty minutes, 12 goals and 19 assists while leading the Canucks with a +/- of plus-11 last season. With his role on the team defined and the fact that he is playing for a contract, Burrows could easlity improve on his 2007-08 totals.

Burrows is not simply a pest to opposition players, he has the ability to be an effective offensive contributor. His role with the Canucks will most likely be on the third or fourth line, with associated minutes, so its unlikely that he is worth a roster spot in most leagues. Should he manage to find a spot on one of the top two lines, especially the Sedin line, his stock will soar.

Burrows will be looked upon to skate with an energy line in the upcoming season. He certainly has talent and can get some points, but those points will be few and far between for fantasy purposes.