The Brian Burke Thread

[hockeyfan1]

Who said anything about firing Carlyle?

...or Burke being let go? 

Whether the Leafs make the playoffs or not, unless we're in store for an atrociously miserable shortened season, Burke and Carlyle stay.

 

[Bullfrog]

Burke has some decision to make this summer . According TSN this article "Each team will be allowed two amnesty buyouts that can be used to terminate contracts after this season and next season. The buyouts will count against the players' overall share in revenues, but not the team's salary cap." My first thoughts are Komisarek but who else should be bought out ?

I think Komisarek is the only name that should even be brought up. There's no one else on contract for next season that has justified being bought out. Even with Komisarek, it's only one more season. His cap hit is $4.5M but his salary only $3.5M so there's a (low) possibility a team might even trade for him.

 

[caver]

How soon after the CBA is ratified can the deals start happening ??

 

[maplesyrup]

How soon after the CBA is ratified can the deals start happening ??

I was under the impression deal could happen even without the CBA. Though it would have been silly to do anything with the uncertainty of a season. I suspect things will start  happen very quickly... Even if it's just small stuff.

 

[bustaheims]

I was under the impression deal could happen even without the CBA. Though it would have been silly to do anything with the uncertainty of a season. I suspect things will start  happen very quickly... Even if it's just small stuff.

Nothing can happen until the lockout is officially lifted, which it has not as of yet. I actually don't expect we'll see a ton of activity. There's been no changes to the cap this season and, with the buyouts available in the summer, there's less pressure on teams to move players to get under the cap for next season.

 

[maplesyrup]

I was under the impression deal could happen even without the CBA. Though it would have been silly to do anything with the uncertainty of a season. I suspect things will start  happen very quickly... Even if it's just small stuff.

Nothing can happen until the lockout is officially lifted, which it has not as of yet. I actually don't expect we'll see a ton of activity. There's been no changes to the cap this season and, with the buyouts available in the summer, there's less pressure on teams to move players to get under the cap for next season.

True. Though I would still expect to see transactions of some form being made and there could be a surprise or two.  Who knows?

 

[caver]

I'm wondering if the buyouts for next summer will have language about this season. In theory a team could acquire an overpaid player now and buy him out in the next 2 seasons. 

 

[caver]

So if a team has no plans to buy out a player currently on the roster they could get one, use him for a season or two and then buy him out.

 

[Corn Flake]

I was under the impression deal could happen even without the CBA. Though it would have been silly to do anything with the uncertainty of a season. I suspect things will start  happen very quickly... Even if it's just small stuff.

Nothing can happen until the lockout is officially lifted, which it has not as of yet. I actually don't expect we'll see a ton of activity. There's been no changes to the cap this season and, with the buyouts available in the summer, there's less pressure on teams to move players to get under the cap for next season.

True. Though I would still expect to see transactions of some form being made and there could be a surprise or two.  Who knows?

I think for the most part we will see a huge flurry of signings since a ton of teams have a lot of roster spots to fill and there are a lot of RFA's still out there.  The cap situation seems to be at a point where it won't change a lot for teams this mini season, so they don't have to make crazy decisions right away.

So, I bet Komisarek hangs around, especially since Franson isn't signed and I have a feeling he won't be this year.

 

[moon111]

The days of goons are done.  But you'll still need players to fight.  And Komisarek has shown he'll step in.  Burke won't be getting rid of Komi.

 

[Sudafederov]

The days of goons are done.  But you'll still need players to fight.  And Komisarek has shown he'll step in front of Lucic's fist with his face.  Burke won't be getting rid of Komi.

FTFY 

 

[Bullfrog]

True. Though I would still expect to see transactions of some form being made and there could be a surprise or two.  Who knows?

It's likely Luongo will be traded somewhere and that's a significant move in my books. it's possible they hang on to him and trade him in the summer though.

 

[bustaheims]

it's possible they hang on to him and trade him in the summer though.

I think that's the most likely scenario.

 

[Peter D.]

I've railed on Burke for his stubbornness to go out and at least entertain the option of offering an 8, 10, 12 year deal, but he's been proven right with the limit put in place now.

Time to see what he can deliver over the next off-season or two (presuming he is still in the position) after having the team in a relatively good cap situation.

 

[Kin]

I've railed on Burke for his stubbornness to go out and at least entertain the option of offering an 8, 10, 12 year deal, but he's been proven right with the limit put in place now.

I don't see what he's been proven right about. The argument for Burke offering one of those deals was always that the Leafs were in a particular financial position to take advantage of that opportunity. Now that the opportunity is gone it doesn't mean Burke shouldn't have tried to take advantage of it when it existed.

At the very least before this new CBA teams trying to sign a UFA were on equal footing with other teams. Now, with pretty strict limits on what can be offered and a significant financial incentive to sign with the team that signed them, all it does is make Burke's self imposed handicap less of an impediment.

 

[maplesyrup]

Maybe now that the rules are more clearly defined under this new CBA, Burke will now be more open to do longer, more front-leaded deals as he sees fit as really, he nor another GM will now be able make deals that aren't in (what he thought was) outside the "spirit" of what the CBA was intended. 

EDIT: I'd love to be able to ask him about this now.

 

[Kin]

Maybe now that the rules are more clearly defined under this new CBA, Burke will now be more open to do longer, more front-leaded deals as he sees fit as really, he nor another GM will now be able make deals that aren't in (what he thought was) outside the "spirit" of what the CBA was intended. 

Even if he is there's only so much that a team can do within the framework mandated by the new CBA to flex their financial muscle when signing a UFA. A team like Nashville might be seriously put off by the idea of having to pay Shea Wever 26 million or so in a calendar year. Now, the most that pill might be to swallow is 8 or 10 million.

Which means that ultimately it'll be about convincing players to come to a team based on reasons largely outside of money. Running with the rest of the pack on that, considering the position the Leafs will be coming from, isn't a win for Burke, or rather the Leafs, by any means.

 

[maplesyrup]

That's all understood but my point still stands and I think it's valid. Basically, I'm wondering if we'll now be on equal footing rather than handicapped by Burke's principles.

 

[Peter D.]

I've railed on Burke for his stubbornness to go out and at least entertain the option of offering an 8, 10, 12 year deal, but he's been proven right with the limit put in place now.

I don't see what he's been proven right about. The argument for Burke offering one of those deals was always that the Leafs were in a particular financial position to take advantage of that opportunity. Now that the opportunity is gone it doesn't mean Burke shouldn't have tried to take advantage of it when it existed.

At the very least before this new CBA teams trying to sign a UFA were on equal footing with other teams. Now, with pretty strict limits on what can be offered and a significant financial incentive to sign with the team that signed them, all it does is make Burke's self imposed handicap less of an impediment.

I just find that limitations put in place have given his self-imposed principle some credibility.

Not to say that I agreed with it because I wish he flexed the team's financial muscle and gone all out for a guy like Kovalchuk.

 

[Frank E]

Maybe now that the rules are more clearly defined under this new CBA, Burke will now be more open to do longer, more front-leaded deals as he sees fit as really, he nor another GM will now be able make deals that aren't in (what he thought was) outside the "spirit" of what the CBA was intended. 

Even if he is there's only so much that a team can do within the framework mandated by the new CBA to flex their financial muscle when signing a UFA. A team like Nashville might be seriously put off by the idea of having to pay Shea Wever 26 million or so in a calendar year. Now, the most that pill might be to swallow is 8 or 10 million.

Which means that ultimately it'll be about convincing players to come to a team based on reasons largely outside of money. Running with the rest of the pack on that, considering the position the Leafs will be coming from, isn't a win for Burke, or rather the Leafs, by any means.

This is what is bothering me some about this deal, I don't see any wins for the Leafs here...at least from the standpoint of a fan.

But I guess there's always all those lucrative endorsement deals to sign here in Canada...