[trackercowe]

A lot of interesting Burke notes from the article for those interested.

"You know I'm not a big Byfuglien guy," Burke notes. But he seems to have committed himself to being in better shape and improving his game. "And no one can pound the puck like him," he adds.

Later, as a counterpoint, Brian Burke says he'd had a dream the U.S. team lost a medal game because of a mistake made by 19-year-old rookie defenseman Seth Jones.

"I think we have to know what we're taking with Bobby," says Burke, who had him in Anaheim when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

"He's a passive guy," Burke says. And over 82 games, yes, Saad and or Pacioretty might be more attractive than Ryan. But Ryan's a game-breaker.

"He is not intense. That word is not in his vocabulary," Burke says. "It's never going to be in his vocabulary. He can't spell intense."

If he's not going to be put in a role in which he can score an important goal, use his skills as a sniper, he shouldn't go, Burke says.

"I always assume a disaster's going to happen."
-- Brian Burke on Keith Yandle

On the other hand

"Yandle is picking teams apart right now," Burke points out.

"If Keith Yandle goes in our top four, I think everyone we play is excited," Burke says.

It all comes down to team composition -- hasn't it always? -- and how this team will look.

"I assume the worst is going to happen," says Burke, who prefers a more conservative approach to the fringe players so the team doesn't get caught without enough balance and get exposed on the big ice against more skilled teams.