As a young and promising defenceman, Bourdon was regularly mentioned in rumours of trades for more offence at the forward positions. Most significantly, he was speculated to be part of a package in exchange for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richards. Although Bourdon had a powerful shot, he did not play defence responsibly enough to earn a regular spot on the roster. He began to show signs of improvement and maturity as the Canucks used him more in the 2007–08 season.