Almost exactly a year ago since the Vancouver Canucks traded long-time forward Alex Burrows to the Ottawa Senators for prospect Jonathan Dahlen, it looks like the Pincourt, Quebec, native’s time in the NHL could be over.

Burrows was placed on waivers by the Sens today, along with defenceman Johnny Oduya, as the team clearly couldn’t garner any interest around the league for the two veteran assets. 

Burrows has eight points in 51 games after posting 11 in 20 contests at the end of last year.

If no one claims Burrows by noon tomorrow (pretty close to a certainty given that the Sens have been shopping most of their players and definitely tried to move him), he will be sent down to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.

It’ll be the first time the well-travelled forward will set foot in the AHL since the 2005-06 season in which he was a member of the Canucks’ former affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

Burrows still has one game to serve in his 10-game suspension for kneeing New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall. He could simply retire rather than ride the AHL buses, but given his well-known resiliency and the fact he still has another year left on his contract that will pay him $2.5 million, that’s unlikely.

If this it, Burrows has surely earned a place in the Canucks’ Ring of Honour, though he probably hasn’t done quite enough on the ice to get his jersey number retired.

The reception when he returned to Rogers Arena for the first time as a visiting player was what you’d expect for a player that was so beloved during his time as a Canuck.

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Hopefully this isn’t the end of the line for Burrows, but if it is, he will long be remembered as one of the most popular Canucks of all time. After all, he’s the one that was able to stick on a line with the Sedins. He’s also the one that was able to slay the dragon, as it were.