MacK_Attack

Brian Burke would not be taking this job if he didn't have complete and final say in all hockey operations. His contract is worded EXACTLY the same as Bryan Colangelo's.

Staying on as a consultant.

Blame Harold Ballard. The Leafs had told Sakic that they would draft him if he was available, but a senile old Pal Hal said at the draft table that he'd fire everybody if they didn't take a defenceman.

Antropov is on pace for like 60-65 points and over 30 goals, somebody will pay up for that at the deadline for offensive depth in the playoffs. He's a big, strong guy that can play all three forward positions. A 2nd rounder isn't asking too much for him, in fact, it might not be asking enough. Kubina's not a rental, he's got one more year left at $5 million. Not a bargain, but not bad considering what defencemen go for on the open market. Schenn is the guy of the future, he's extremely solid. If Kaberle was to go for Jeff Carter & 1st round pick last year, he'll should go for something similar this year. He mentioned in training camp to leaving his options more open this year, so I'd say he'll probably waive his no-trade to go somewhere that he prefers. They would be foolish to not try and land J-Bo this summer, doubt they'll get him, but he's worth a shot. There's no way they'd leave the blueline with Schenn, Stralman and a few spare parts. Burke's always been known to build strong bluelines, so I don't think that's an area that he'll expose. I would think he'd probably look to the trade route to bolster the defence. I would be shocked if Kaberle AND Kubina got traded and there wasn't a solid young defenceman coming back the other way in one of the deals. Again, it's a slow process. It would be foolish to assume that it can be turned around overnight.

Nobody ever said anything about getting the best picks and prospects for stiffs like Antropov & Ponikarovsky. That was you putting words in my mouth. Thanks. They'll be able to net something decent like 2nd or 3rd rounders for them. Nothing special, but they need future parts. Kaberle & Kubina are where they'll make hay. Teams will pay out the ass for defencemen, especially a guy like Kaberle making $4.25 million. He's got a six year deal because it's going to take some time to get things back on track. I don't think he'll get impatient right away and he's got lots of job security in order to take things fairly slowly.

Picks and prospects, ideally.

Kaberle WILL be gone. He's the most marketable asset they have. If he isn't traded at the deadline, he'll be gone over the summer when his no-trade clause is lifted.

I doubt it. He'll be selling. Kaberle, Kubina, Antropov, Ponikarovsky....gone.

Yeah, you're right. A GM with a Stanley Cup ring is such a step down from John Ferguson Jr.

Finally a GM that can do what he wants when he wants to do it.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=257404&lid...s=headlines_nhl

TSN: Leafs expected to announce hiring of Brian Burke & Dave Nonis when Hockey Night in Canada goes on the air at 6:30 Eastern on Saturday.

Well, age isn't on his side.

Potvin vs. Hextall

Details of his proposed contract: - a six-year contract, which includes the balance of this season and five more. - a salary of about $3 million (U.S.) per year. - a bonus package that likely includes some form of signing bonus and performance bonuses tied primarily to playoff success. - an autonomy clause that mirrors the one in the contract of Toronto Raptors' GM Bryan Colangelo.

Depends on what he wants to do right away. The "sources" often mentioned in the media claim that he wants to tear down the team even more than Fletcher did. If that's the case, it's a good thing.

Nope, they don't play each other this season.

It was Steen, Kaberle, 1st rounder for Pronger. Kevin Lowe turned down the counter-offer of Kaberle, Stajan & 1st rounder.

How many chances do you give the guys? Carlo can't stay healthy for more than a shift at a time and Steen's offensive ability has all but dried up.

He's the modern day Wendel Clark, which is why he wears #17.

Out six months. http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=256752&lid...os=topStory_nhl

The other option is to have Ken Daniels calling the game by himself. Thrilling.

He's got lots of experience from Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet broadcasts.

Five year deal, believed to be worth around $6.6 million per year. http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=256313&lid...os=topStory_nhl