Canucks add to depth at centre
GAME DAY: VANCOUVER AT CALGARY, 7 P.M.
CALGARY — Alexander Burmistrov has been called a “wild card” and a “rover” by Travis Green.
The versatile Vancouver Canucks forward would call himself something else. “Confused,” he said. And this was before the NHL team made a transaction late Thursday in acquiring centre Nic Dowd from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenceman Jordan Subban.
With Bo Horvat sidelined up to six weeks with a fractured foot, and Brandon Sutter returning next week from an upper-body injury, the Canucks reached out for more depth down the middle — even though they have it in Burmistrov.
The 26-year-old Russian had been scratched in 10 of the previous 13 games before logging 12:44 Thursday during a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, who swept their Western Canada road trip with wins in Calgary (5-2) and Edmonton (4-2).
He worked the penalty kill well and had one shot, had a 50 per cent efficiency rate in faceoffs, started between Nikolay Goldobin and Brock Boeser and finished up with Jake Virtanen on his right side.
Green gave Burmistrov enough roster rope to make an impression after amassing just five points (1-4) in his previous 17 games. The verdict?
“He was OK — I thought he had an average game,” the Canucks’ coach said Friday. “It’s the same message I’ve given all year. Play a strong 200-foot game and be a guy who’s reliable that I can play in any situation and be strong on faceoffs and the penalty kill.
“And if we get injuries, we bump him up on the power play. Those kind of players are invaluable who can play in your bottom six and, if you need, in your top six.”
Regardless, Burmistrov sounded confused when asked about his role. He can play the middle or wing and doesn’t want to get weighed down by self-doubt, especially with another veteran centre now in the fold.
“Of course you have to think about it,” Burmistrov said of the trade. “It’s tough to say anything because my thing is to go out there and get my confidence back and play like I can, but it’s hard when you miss games.
“My thing is to loosen up and forget about everything and stop worrying — just play.”
Dowd will join the team in Calgary and Green didn’t commit to playing the 27-year-old today, but said he’s anxious to get a look at him. Read into that what you want.
Dowd has just one assist in 16 NHL games this season, but in the march to the Calder Cup final with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015, he had 41 points (9-32) in 75 regular-season games and 13 points (7-6) in 19 playoff games.
“A good two-way guy and I like the fact that he has come through an organization that does a good job developing players,” said Green. “He has played behind some pretty good centres in L.A. and I’m hoping that here’s a guy who’s ready to get a chance.”
Which makes you wonder if Burmistrov is running out of chances. He’s at the career crossroads and knew he had much to prove after signing a one-year, one-way $900,000 US free-agent contract here July 1.
The 6-1, 180-pound forward finished with a flurry with the Arizona Coyotes last season — four goals in his final five games after being claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets in January following just two assists in 23 outings — and that piqued the Canucks’ curiosity.
Burmistov skated on a practice line Friday between Markus Granlund and Loui Eriksson in advance of today’s game and a Monday meeting in Winnipeg.
However, with Sutter and Dowd on the roster horizon, his lineup days could again be numbered.