Quote:
Originally Posted by thefoss1957
heh...I have visions of last year's SCF, with Kane running circles around Chara!.
My feeling is, though, a team of pure grinders is NOT the best way to build a team for the 2010s...and it seems to be what Burke really wants.
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During the intermission, Burke made it clear that is not what he intends to do. He just wants to surround the skilled guys with some big ones. He went out of his way to mention that he thought very highly of Gaudreau for instance.
As for the comments previously about Burke's draft record - Feaster had an uglier one with his time in Tampa. Why didn't that carry forward here? I think it is really difficult to judge the history of a GM's scouting success without looking at patterns that GMs do with scouting staff. For instance, if suddenly he starts poaching scouts from Toronto, and replacing the Calgary scouts with them, we have a problem. Feaster was able to draft better than in Tampa because he not only kept the scouting department intact, but he deferred to the scouting department as to whom he should select. He also added to the scouting department (and I don't think any of them came from his time in Tampa, but I could be wrong).
It takes a few years for GMs to be able to make a change with their scouting department, and see the resulting change. Prospects take a few years to develop usually. It is tough to grade an organization from change through results without giving it time. For instance, I really feel Darryl Sutter made huge strides in the drafting department. Just when it seemed like it was turning around, it was too late. Feaster came in and everyone thinks he is a much better drafting GM, but the fact is that he kept the scouting department intact, and just added a few additional minds to help him out in his own perceived weakness. I wouldn't think Burke or the new GM would come in and change the scouting department too much. They may add a name or two - guys whom they feel they trust from a past track record - but I would be very shocked if the drafting and development department went through much of a change.
As for Burke's quote.. the only thing that continues to annoy me is how he states that the whole league started building bigger teams thanks to his Anaheim Ducks winning the cup. I would argue that it was the Calgary Flames in '04 that came out with their hard-working and physical attitude, steam-rolling all the teams to the final.
