Brian Burke Stepping Down As Ducks GM

Very Interesting..im sure he will be named Leafs gm in the very near future. I kinda wish they would just get it done even as a Leafs fan im gettin sick of this story.

GO LEAFS GO!!!
 
SHedberg said:
Getting out before things collapse around him in Anaheim... sign a fat contract with Toronto and then lead them to mediocrity for the next 5 years.
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Collapse around him? Really? I mean having the core of his team (Getzlaf, Perry, Kunitz, Selanne, Jiggy) signed for the forseeable future, and a crapload of cap space opening up next season is just terrible :rolleyes:

I think this has more to do with Burke no longer wanting to be on the West Coast as a result of family concerns. Anaheim's extension offer was strong enough that he considered it up until recently and everyone knew that the Leafs job with a fat contract was his last summer. So this is not about money. Prestige perhaps, but definitely not about money.

It sucks that Burke is leaving Anaheim, as where else is a Duck fan going to get an anti-Lowe rant ;) But seriously, the guy is largely responsible for taking the team from the Mickey Mouse days, to a Stanley Cup championship and left the franchise in good shape. I definitely can't complain about the guy moving on.
 
Iceman said:
Collapse around him? Really? I mean having the core of his team (Getzlaf, Perry, Kunitz, Selanne, Jiggy) signed for the forseeable future, and a crapload of cap space opening up next season is just terrible :rolleyes:

I think this has more to do with Burke no longer wanting to be on the West Coast as a result of family concerns. Anaheim's extension offer was strong enough that he considered it up until recently and everyone knew that the Leafs job with a fat contract was his last summer. So this is not about money. Prestige perhaps, but definitely not about money.

It sucks that Burke is leaving Anaheim, as where else is a Duck fan going to get an anti-Lowe rant ;) But seriously, the guy is largely responsible for taking the team from the Mickey Mouse days, to a Stanley Cup championship and left the franchise in good shape. I definitely can't complain about the guy moving on.
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No offense to Anaheim fans, but that core is about all they have, and Burke can really take none of the credit for it, as it was all in place before he got there. Selanne and Niedermeyer will be done soon, Pronger is still good but no longer at the top of his game, and a number of their depth forwards are nearing the end of their careers as well. Most of the Ducks young talent has already stepped into the NHL, so they won't have a whole lot of depth of in a couple years. For now, they are good, and their top line will be set for a long time, but the Ducks will have depth issues in a few years, and may have defense problems as well. Burke hasn't drafted well, so they will need to rely on key trades and signings to re stock the cupboard. We'll see if they can manage.
 
I am not a huge fan of Brian Burke. I think he is overrated as a GM because, quite simply, he sounds intelligent and he IS well educated. But this does not make him the best hockey man out there. I would rather have a quieter, less refined guy like a Sutter brother running my team than that arrogant jackass, but that's just me. I think he will be a hit in Toronto from a fan point of view (big, loudmouthed quotes and all), but as for expecting him to make them Cup champs, the wait will continue, I'm afraid.

This is a guy who hired a very out-of shape Todd Bertuzzi and attacked another team's GM for not entering into a pact of collusion regarding a player he wanted to low-ball (Penner - but we all know he would have done the same darn thing had the shoe been on the other foot). I don't think he has ever done anything that magical. He inherited a great young team and made them overspend and reduced their depth at virtually every position. But he makes for some good soundbites, I'll give him that.
 
fly4apuckguy said:
I am not a huge fan of Brian Burke. I think he is overrated as a GM because, quite simply, he sounds intelligent and he IS well educated. But this does not make him the best hockey man out there. I would rather have a quieter, less refined guy like a Sutter brother running my team than that arrogant jackass, but that's just me. I think he will be a hit in Toronto from a fan point of view (big, loudmouthed quotes and all), but as for expecting him to make them Cup champs, the wait will continue, I'm afraid.

This is a guy who hired a very out-of shape Todd Bertuzzi and attacked another team's GM for not entering into a pact of collusion regarding a player he wanted to low-ball (Penner - but we all know he would have done the same darn thing had the shoe been on the other foot). I don't think he has ever done anything that magical. He inherited a great young team and made them overspend and reduced their depth at virtually every position. But he makes for some good soundbites, I'll give him that.
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While I see your point, unfortunately, "arrogant jackass" is a prerequisite to being the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. You almost have to be one to be successful in this city. JFJ was a MLSE yes man, and the media here demolished him. He says it didn't bother him, but you could see it in his eyes that it did. I don't see the same thing happening to Burke.

Brian Burke has a Stanley Cup ring and that's more than anyone in the Leafs organization (management) has. If they give Burke as much power as he needs to make the team work, then that will be his true test. If MLSE is willing to spend like the Yankees (which the Teacher's Pension people might not like) then that adds to his test. He has the assholian personality to survive the fishbowl that is Planet Toronto. I think he'll be just fine if/when he's named GM of the Leafs.
 
marvelman55 said:
No offense to Anaheim fans, but that core is about all they have, and Burke can really take none of the credit for it, as it was all in place before he got there. Selanne and Niedermeyer will be done soon, Pronger is still good but no longer at the top of his game, and a number of their depth forwards are nearing the end of their careers as well. Most of the Ducks young talent has already stepped into the NHL, so they won't have a whole lot of depth of in a couple years. For now, they are good, and their top line will be set for a long time, but the Ducks will have depth issues in a few years, and may have defense problems as well. Burke hasn't drafted well, so they will need to rely on key trades and signings to re stock the cupboard. We'll see if they can manage.
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Getzlaf and Perry were drafted by Murray, sure. But give Burke credit that he has them both signed at very reasonable contracts for what they are doing right now. If they were to progress further (which is highly likely), the contracts would be steals.

As for the "drafting well" portion, I think the jury is still out on that, as his four first round selections have not really made the team yet. Bobby Ryan should get his first really good stint in the big leagues once the cap space clears. MacMillan wasn't expected to make the jump that quick anyway. Mitera and Gardiner are complete unknowns to me, but it sounds like Mitera is a strong college defenceman (Captain at Michigan) finishing out his degree, and Gardiner is a freshman defenceman. So the issues with Pronger and Niedermayer on the decline might not be as pronounced as one might think if there are young reinforcements coming in behind to lighten the load on them.

Could there be depth issues? Sure but I think a few prospects have to be busts for that to really be a huge issue. But from what I can see, the Ducks are in position to either have one of their prospects come up and fill a spot, or alternatively, make a signing. They should have roughly $23 million in cap space assuming the cap stays the same, so they have a fair bit of flexibility to do what they want to do going forward. Are they going to win the Cup on a regular basis? No. But I think they are going to be a regular playoff team, and in today's NHL, that's the best you can get I would think.
 
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Iceman said:
Getzlaf and Perry were drafted by Murray, sure. But give Burke credit that he has them both signed at very reasonable contracts for what they are doing right now. If they were to progress further (which is highly likely), the contracts would be steals.

As for the "drafting well" portion, I think the jury is still out on that, as his four first round selections have not really made the team yet. Bobby Ryan should get his first really good stint in the big leagues once the cap space clears. MacMillan wasn't expected to make the jump that quick anyway. Mitera and Gardiner are complete unknowns to me, but it sounds like Mitera is a strong college defenceman (Captain at Michigan) finishing out his degree, and Gardiner is a freshman defenceman. So the issues with Pronger and Niedermayer on the decline might not be as pronounced as one might think if there are young reinforcements coming in behind to lighten the load on them.

Could there be depth issues? Sure but I think a few prospects have to be busts for that to really be a huge issue. But from what I can see, the Ducks are in position to either have one of their prospects come up and fill a spot, or alternatively, make a signing. They should have roughly $23 million in cap space assuming the cap stays the same, so they have a fair bit of flexibility to do what they want to do going forward. Are they going to win the Cup on a regular basis? No. But I think they are going to be a regular playoff team, and in today's NHL, that's the best you can get I would think.
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I'm not disagreeing with a thing you said, but that sure is a lot of variables in there. As per depth, the Ducks are so good not only because their young talent, but also because of the leadership tehy get from the third/fourth liners, Pronger/Nierdermeyer and Selanne. Prospects cannot fill that hole, and while Getzlaf looks to be on the verge of being great, I don't see Perry or Kunitz being the same leader that Getzlaf will be.
 
With the cap in place, I would say it's an accomplishment to have your team in a healthy position for the next 3 to 4 years.

For example, one of the healthiest teams in that regard is the Penguins, but in a few years, Crosby and/or Malkin and/or Fleury could be gone. Even those teams that have locked up their cornerstones for those 8 to 10 year contracts could run into serious cap issues.

Bottom line is that ensuring your future is bright is a constant challenge and requires terrific drafting and smart contracts. There is no doubt that Burke has locked up some smart long-term contracts, despite a few short-term issues in that regard. The draft is something that will take a few more years to evaluate. We have been so spoiled with 18 and 19 year olds jumping into the NHL so fast these days, we forget that most guys need 3 to 5 years to really develop into NHLers.
 

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