Beating the deadline

Canadian NHL clubs make some moves ahead of schedule

The Ottawa Senators are gearing up for a post-season push, acquiring veteran forward Alexandre Burrows from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospect Jonathan Dahlen on Monday.

The deal was announced about 46 hours before Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline and gives the Senators a skilled pest with plenty of playoff experience.

Burrows, who turns 36 in April, played 822 regular-season games with the Canucks, posting 193 goals, 191 assists and 1,066 penalty minutes.

The undrafted free agent who fought his way from the thirdtier ECHL to eventually star on Vancouver’s top line added 19 goals and 15 assists in 70 playoff games.

“We had to do something like this,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Monday before Ottawa’s game in Tampa, Florida. “We just felt it was time to add another piece, and in Alex Burrows, I can tell you, we’re ecstatic to have added that piece.”

Set to become an unrestricted agent this summer, the Pincourt, Que., native had a full no-trade clause in his contract and would have had to sign off on the deal that brings him to the nation’s capital. There are reports he could sign a two-year extension with Ottawa as early as today.

Burrows had four straight seasons of at least 25 goals from 2008-09 to 2011-12 playing largely with the Henrik and Daniel Sedin. His best year came in 2009-10 when he scored 35 goals and added 32 assists.

Burrows’ days as an offensive catalyst are behind him — he has nine goals and 11 assists in 55 games this season — but he will still bring sandpaper to a Senators team pressuring the Montreal Canadiens for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Dahlen, 19, was selected in the second round, 42nd overall, by Ottawa at the 2016 NHL draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brian Boyle, meanwhile, was still with the team when he shut down for a pre-game nap on Monday morning. The 32-yearold woke to news that he’d been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It’s a little bit of what do I first?” Boyle said of initial emotions to the trade, which sent a conditional second round pick in 2017 to Tampa. “Do I start packing a bag? Do I take a shower? It’s different. It really is a different feeling.”

Boyle will likely play a very familiar role with the Leafs though, as the capable fourth line centre head coach Mike Babcock has been searching for all year-long. It’s a role Boyle wore well over three seasons with the Lightning and in five seasons prior to that with the New York Rangers.

Babcock will love the size Boyle offers — six foot six and 244 pounds — as well as his effectiveness in the faceoff circle. Boyle has won 53 per cent of his draws this year, including 50 per cent on the penalty kill. He’ll likely be trusted to take not only shorthanded faceoffs for the Leafs, but key defensive zone draws — of which he’s won 51.4 per cent.

Montreal also made an addition, acquiring Jordie Benn from the Dallas Stars for Greg Pateryn and a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft in an exchange of defencemen on Monday.