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“I’m still around.”

In those three words, Alex Burrowstried to summarize and justify his wild rollercoaster ride the last four months when it appeared his days as a long-serving Vancouver Canucks winger were numbered. The first hint came in early March when he was told by the coaching staff that younger players were a roster priority. But he wasn’t moved at the trade deadline and wasn’t bought out last month.

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And when Canucks general manager Jim Benning was asked if the 35-year-old National Hockey League survivor would be part of any off-season transactions, his reaction was quick, concise and somewhat confusing: “No,” he said. “He’s going to be part of our group.”

“It means a lot,” said Burrows, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. “It means I can still be an asset to the team and still help the young guys and be a good leader in the room.”

The commitment seemed surprising because the aging winger has a year left on his contract at a $US4.5 million salary cap hit, but $3 million in actual salary. That’s a lot for a role player who spent the majority of last season on the fourth line and the penalty kill and had but nine goals in 79 games. Burrows was a good mentor to the kids and his enthusiasm for the game never waned, even when his ice time was reduced, and perhaps there’s value in that.