Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun --- Assistant general manager Laurence Gilman confirmed Friday that he has had recent discussions with Burrows' agent, Paul Corbeil.
"We have had preliminary discussions about extending Alex's contract," Gilman said. "But beyond that it's not our policy to discuss ongoing negotiations."
Burrows is set to enter the final year of a four-year contract that pays him $2 million a season.
He has proved to be a bargain at that price. Playing mainly with the Sedin twins, Burrows has had four straight seasons of 25 or more goals. He scored 28 goals and had 52 points for the Canucks last season. The 31-year-old had his best season in 2009-10 when he had 35 goals and 67 points, both career highs.
"Alex is an important player on our team, both on the ice and in our dressing room," Gilman said. "And if we can get him signed to a long-term deal that keeps him with us for a number of years it would be a very good thing."
Burrows' numbers obviously have him in line for a significant raise. But like so many other of his teammates before him, Burrows will be expected to sign for less than he might command on the open market if he was to become an unrestricted free agent next July 1.
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| Logo for 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Bruce Arthur, National Post --- In fact, the playoffs were careering into dangerous places without him. All across the NHL waves of violence — both typical and excessive — have swept across the game. Elbows, fights, concussions, the most penalty minutes in at least five years and four suspensions (and counting, pending further decisions on Game 3 in the Penguins-Flyers series) in the first 17 games played. There were four suspensions in the entirety of the 2011 playoffs.Here is the crux of the article, the players and the fans are enjoying this years Stanley Cup Playoff games, or they wouldn't watch the games. The players wouldn't play the games if they didn't enjoy the game of hockey.
Timonen was not talking about hurting people, though. Few will argue that animosity and emotion are not a reason why playoff hockey can be great. Ask most players, and their eyes shine when they talk about it.That being said, that doesn't mean I don't want the perpetrators punished that need to be punished but, the rough and tumble hockey is fun to watch. The other night L.A. Kings forward Dustin Brown hit Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin with a legal hard check. Point blank, Brown steam rolled Sedin and it was an awesome hockey play that happens hundreds of times during the National Hockey League's 82 game season. Again, if you don't like it go watch baseball.
“That’s the way hockey should be,” Brière said. “It’s intense. Players are passionate, coaches are passionate, fans are passionate. This is what it’s all about. You come to a game, you want to see passionate teams go at it. You don’t want a boring game, with nothing going on. I think people that paid a price to come watch a playoff game, that’s what they want to see.
David Shoalts, Globe and Mail --- The Los Angeles Kings have apologized for a flippant tweet from their official Twitter feed that mocked the Vancouver Canucks.
“We encourage our digital team to be creative, interactive and to apply a sense of humour whenever possible. To anyone who found it offensive we sincerely apologize,” Mike Altieri, the Kings’ vice-president, communications and content, said in an e-mail message Thursday afternoon.
CBC.COM --- "Regardless of Keith's assertion that the intent on this play was to impede Sedin's progress as opposed to a retaliation for an earlier hit, Keith's hit was still dangerous, reckless and caused injury," said NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan in a statement.
"We've also taken into consideration Keith's supplemental discipline record which includes no suspensions and one fine over nearly seven NHL seasons."
SportsDirect ---- Chicago Blackhawks center Dave Bolland didn't have too many complimentary things to say about Henrik and Daniel Sedin - or the city of Vancouver, for that matter.
In fact, he referred to the Sedin Twins as "sisters" on two occasions on a recent appearance on Chicago-based WGN Radio.
When asked if he'd welcome them on the Blackhawks - should a deal arise - Bolland was fairly blunt with his response.
Related Info
"Well, they'll never become 'Hawks," he said. "I don't think we'd let them on our team. We'd be sure not to let them on our team. And, yeah, they probably still would be sisters.
Orland Kurtenblog --- The $5 mil total also proves that, if you want to make some serious money in the league, you should try speedbagging a Sedin.Brad Marchand plays on the edge all the time and during the Stanley Cup finals Marchand was up in Daniel Sedin's grill for most of the series... Just a little reminder in case anyone forgot, how about this move by Brad Marchand as he showed Daniel Sedin if you going to keep skating after the whistle Marchand is going to protect himself. [Click to view video] Again, did people expect Marchand to just let Sedin run him?
I mean, let’s be real here. Marchand is a good player and you can’t downplay his postseason effectiveness — but everyone knows how he made a name for himself, and it wasn’t for relentless back-checking. Marchand whaled on the Art Ross trophy winner, bragged about it, and everybody ate it up. Fans, media and television talking heads were tripping over each other to anoint him the rodent du jour, taking the “next Ken Linesman” label away from Dave Bolland (who, to be fair, took it away from Steve Ott. I think the point here is the “rat king” label frequently changes holders.) This wasn’t necessarily wrong, just overblown. On the list of things that prevented Vancouver from winning, Marchand’s agitation skills were somewhere in the middle
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeBruce Dowbiggen from the Globe and Mail has a head scratcher of an article in Sunday's Globe and Mail sports page.NEGATIVE IMAGESIs there a double standard when it comes to P.K. Subban? I don't believe so. What do you think?
As the NHL hands out its awards in Las Vegas Tuesday, it’ll be looking to expunge the media images from one of the nastiest Stanley Cup finals in recent memory. Most depressing was the image of thousands of young men in Vancouver who seem to have mistaken a riot for a South Park episode. The other was the sight of Boston Bruins rookie Brad Marchand using the head of Hart Trophy finalist Daniel Sedin as a speed bag – to the approval of hockey’s blood culture.
The league can’t do much for the street rioting but it could do something about the latter. Imagine an NBA rookie speed-bagging Dirk Nowitzki’s head going into a timeout or a first-year NFL player hitting Tom Brady in the head repeatedly after the play. What do you think the response would be from those leagues? They’d hammer the kid.
But the NHL stands by as useless as a Vancouver city cop watching his cruiser burn. Better yet, media types – some of whom piously decry fighting – blame Sedin for bruising Marchand’s knuckles and tell Vancouver to wise up and get some tough guys. Hope all the parents with kids in hockey are following this.
DOUBLE STANDARD
One final thought on rookie Marchand: How come when he abuses a superstar he’s applauded by Hockey Night in Canada and the media as a savvy kid who gets under the skin to win. But when Montreal Canadiens rookie P.K. Subban did the same, we were told by the same voices that he was a punk with no respect who needed to be taken down a notch? Is it because Marchand is a Bruin, a sacred squad on Hockey Night, because Sedin is a European or because Marchand is white while Subban is black, or all of the above. Take all the time you need to answer.
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| Man Certified |
Darren Dregger; TSN ---- But late in the third period of Game 6, Brad Marchand of the Bruins punched Daniel Sedin four times and the Canucks forward did not retaliate.Here is the problem; the Vancouver Canucks brought this stuff on themselves during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The buffoonery started in the first round when the Canucks GM complained about the amount of power plays that his team failed to get against the Blackhawks. The nonsense didn't stop there, the Canucks, dove, flailed, bit, taunted, threw their heads back and slashed their way through the Stanley Cup Playoffs... In addition the Vancouver Canucks mouthed off in the media and disrespected the Boston Bruins. I wonder if Roberto Luongo still wants to wants to give goaltending lessons to Tim Thomas. I just don't feel any empathy towards them and I can see why a lot of us hate them. The Boston Bruins have also responded in kind to the Canucks antics.
Afterwards, Sedin said he'll take those punches but he did get upset when referee Kelly Sutherland separated the two players.
Sedin said he asked Sutherland why he wasn't calling a penalty and the referee responded with 'I will'. Sedin jokingly replied, 'When, after the fifth punch?'
So according to the Canucks, there is a theme that has evolved in this series.
The Vancouver Sun --- His team has managed to score just eight goals in six games, but Daniel Sedin has no doubts about the biggest game of his life on Wednesday night.
"We're going to win Game 7," Daniel said emphatically after the Canucks dropped a 5-2 decision to the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday night.
To do that, he and the rest of the Canucks are going to have to solve Boston goalie Tim Thomas.
Daniel said there is a simple explanation why the Canucks, who scored more goals than any other team this past season, haven't been able to put the puck in the net in the final.
"It's pretty easy because Tim Thomas has been outstanding," Daniel said. "Still, we're 3-3 and we won all three games at home and we have the fourth game at home. So we have the seventh game at home and we'll take that. We are confident."
Image by slidingsideways via FlickrHere are some of the numbers from the Stanley Cup Final so far after four games.
