I'd tend to agree with mathonwy here...Burrows really isn't that terrible a linemate to have, in isolation at least. He's not a line-driver anymore, and he's not going to create much offensively himself...but he is still a smart, responsible two-way player who works hard and does a decent job of getting the puck to his better linemates.
To me, that screams Sutter linemate, but it's hardly a disaster to have him paired up with Horvat on one wing.
It's the Dorsett thing that really makes this whole thing insane. If Dorsett were actually a quality middle-6 winger with a strong defensive game, good hustle, and the kind of serviceable offensive instincts that might warrant the sort of promotions Dorsett often gets (ie. if Dorsett were actually the player WillieD seems to think he is)...i don't really see it being that much of an issue to have Horvat playing with these guys.
The thing about being "anchors" offensively relative to Baertschi/Eriksson, is that is true of every other winger on our team who isn't a Sedin. Bae is our 2nd best offensive LWer...for better or worse. Which means, whatever line he is one
will be counted on to produce offensively. Which, if you
are serious about easing that responsibility to produce away from Bo for a bit, until he can get his defensive game back to where it
should be (for his, and the Canucks long-term benefit)...you kind of have to break up that dynamic Bae-Bo duo right now.
I think some people here have worked themselves into a Bo worship frenzy, to where he ought to be given the keys to the kingdom, a letter on his chest, and the cushiest offensive minutes to light up the scoreboard as best he can to hit his 50pts, score his big contract extension, and reinforce that's it's totally okay to put defensive reliability on the backburner as long as you're putting up those points.
I don't agree with that, and i think there is something to the idea of trying to alleviate
some of that offensive pressure on Horvat...
for now. The player we really want him to be for this franchise's future is always going to have a better/more pure offensive center ahead of him. That Kesler role behind the Sedins, or at absolute best...the Bergeron to someone else's Krejci. There's merit in trying to ease the pressure to be all things to all men right now, and letting him just get back to playing a stout defensive game and letting the offense flow and grow from there. That's kind of thing Bo himself has talked about as his comfort zone since we drafted him. I think that's all a reasonable, long-term beneficial agenda.
It's really just the Dorsett problem that makes no sense to me. Especially when Hansen really
is exactly the sort of linemate who fits that agenda to a T. While also, unsurprisingly...having some already demonstrated great chemistry with Bo.
