What To Do Without Burrows?

The Canucks head into the 2010-2011 NHL season with high expectations and are coming off a year where they were the second highest scoring team in the league overall and the best offensive team in the Western Conference. Naturally, since the Canucks have added some forward depth during the off-season, most fans would expect this team to replicate that without any problems.

Not so fast, for the first month to two months of the season the Canucks will be without Alex Burrows who scored 35 goals last year and who leaves a hole in the Canucks top 6 forward group where the Canucks will need someone to step up and fill in until Burrows returns.

With all the talk surrounding the Canucks bottom six forward training camp battles, there is an interesting situation that top 6 fill in candidates Raffi Torres, Cody Hodgson, Jannik Hansen, Jordan Schroeder, and Sergei Shirokov find themselves in. Without Burrows offense and chemistry to open the season, one of the above mentioned forwards has an opportunity to jump onto the top two lines and be productive, but who will it be?

Jannik Hansen is coming off a year with 9 goals, whereas Raffi Torres had a great first half of the season but ended his campaign in Buffalo where he was MIA in the offensive attack for the Sabres. Cody Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder have an opportunity, but they're both young and need to make the team, let alone make the top 6 forward group.

Sergei Shirokov is an intriguing option as he is expected to suit up alongside the Sedin twins in upcoming Pre-Season action and will be given a look to start the season riding shotgun with two of the NHL's best offensive forwards.

Burrows, meanwhile, is coming off successful shoulder surgery and without full contact practices right now is still a month to two months away, without considering the time he'll need to make an impact jumping into the NHL season that has already been in full swing for 6 - 8 weeks. With Daniel, Henrik, Samuelsson, Kesler, and Raymond, goal scoring shouldn't be a major issue for this Canucks bunch, but taking it for granted could cost the Canucks some early points in the standings.