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Burrows would ‘love to be back’ with Canucks, but that may not happen

Alex Burrows

Vancouver Canucks’ Alex Burrows celebrates his goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

AP

Alex Burrows hopes he hasn’t played his last game as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

“I’d love to be back, love this city, love this team, care a lot about it,” he told reporters this morning while seated beside fellow veterans Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin and Dan Hamhuis.

“It would be nice to win a Stanley Cup in this city.”

Unfortunately for Burrows, it seems highly unlikely that will happen. Not only do the Canucks appear years away from contending again, the 35-year-old is believed to be a candidate for a buyout. He has one more season left on his contract. If he’s bought out, it would be a $2.5 million cap hit in 2016-17 and a $1 million hit the season after that.

The Canucks could also try to trade Burrows, retaining salary if needed. Management has not yet informed him of their intentions -- his future could depend partly on what happens in the upcoming draft lottery -- but for the record, he believes he has more to give than he showed this past season when he managed just nine goals in 79 games.

“I’m looking forward to a good summer of working out,” he said. “Last year, I starting working out really late because of the rib injury.”

Daniel Sedin would like to see Burrows return. Ditto for Hamhuis, the 33-year-old pending unrestricted free agent.

“Hopefully they’re going to be here next year,” said Sedin, calling Burrows a “big part of our success” and Hamhuis a “big part of the D core.”

At the same time, Henrik Sedin conceded, “We all realize we need to get younger before we get better.”

And, so, another summer of hard decisions begins in Vancouver. The Canucks finished 2015-16 with just 75 points, 26 fewer than last season, and the fewest for the club since 1998-99. They were beset by injuries, but their issues went far beyond health.

GM Jim Benning and head coach Willie Desjardins will address the media tomorrow.