Season Kick-off pressers Sept 30. Burke @ 11:45 AM. Feaster @ 1 PM

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Hated the Burke hiring from the start and hate it even more now. Call it over reaction to his comments but I think Sven is gone at some point this season and some of our other prospects won't be far behind. Burke doesn't like skilled Euros and prefers his big tough North Americans, Johnny hockey you're on the clock.

Not sure about that, he made moves to draft the Sedins 2nd and 3rd overall.

[davidbjordan]

"'Sedin' is not Swedish for 'punch me or headlock me in a scrum'."

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Hated the Burke hiring from the start and hate it even more now. Call it over reaction to his comments but I think Sven is gone at some point this season and some of our other prospects won't be far behind. Burke doesn't like skilled Euros and prefers his big tough North Americans, Johnny hockey you're on the clock.

While I'm luke warm on the idea of Burke meddling and running the show, I really doubt that Burke will be able to single-handily run Johnny Hockey out of town. Feaster, Conroy, Weisbord and the entire organization have spent countless hours investing in Gadureau's development and working with him to be a part of the organization. If Burke can waltz in and convince the entire hockey operations staff that Gadureau is expendable then the Flames are a complete write off of a franchise.

I'm still weary of Burke's involvement in the franchise, but I have to question how much authority Burke really does have. For the past three years the Flames organization has been talking about decision making by a collective and if that's all of sudden thrown out the window because Burke is the President of Hockey operations then we're in a lot of trouble.

[Dr. Doom]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Yeah. Look how he turned out....after Burke left. We can say these guys need to toughen up and whatever, but a young 20 year old kid who moved away from his country alone at 16/17 is still a 20 year old kid regardless of employment. People seem to easily forget that. Playing hockey or making money doesn't remove humanity in any sense. Maturity and confidence will toughen you up, but let's not pretend that he isn't still a 20 year old human being like most of us were at some point who just got very publicly lambasted and called lazy by his boss

The Leafs made the playoffs right after he left as well. Did he have nothing to do with that?

Burke doesn't get enough credit for what he developed. And Kadri is no exception he was a punk kid before Burke got a hold of him.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Hated the Burke hiring from the start and hate it even more now. Call it over reaction to his comments but I think Sven is gone at some point this season and some of our other prospects won't be far behind. Burke doesn't like skilled Euros and prefers his big tough North Americans, Johnny hockey you're on the clock.

First day of the 2013/14 season and we have the first contender for overreaction post of the year award. I will give you credit for realizing the ridiculousness of your post but holy smokes.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by strombad

He will probably play in the NHL.... probably. To say he's going to be a star or that the return we get should be outstanding is a little far fetched seeing as he has absolutely zero experience playing professional hockey or even attending a professional camp. Not saying he doesn't have potential, but there are more highly touted prospects that don't perform in the show than there are guys who put it all together.

Plus, have you seen Burke? Guy would take you to the cleaners. And punching Feaster in the face just seems mean.

I'm basing my argument off of what I've seen from him so far as well as a "feeling". You're right, I don't have any proof and it may be a little far fetched, but again, it's a feeling that he will be an important part of this franchise.

Oh, and I could take Burke...

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Dr. Doom

The Leafs made the playoffs right after he left as well. Did he have nothing to do with that?

Burke doesn't get enough credit for what he developed. And Kadri is no exception he was a punk kid before Burke got a hold of him.

? What?

[davidbjordan]

since when is burke developing kids and when did kadri become more than a punk kid?

one shortened season doesn't make you a star as much as any toronto biased media will lead you to believe

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

I was thinking about this today when I heard Burke's comments, and the more you think about it, the more it seems that Feaster was talking about Sven...why would they talk about undrafted prospect or some other player. Burke asked Feaster if he liked this player and Feaster told him we like him a lot and Burke said I don't...its pretty obvious they talking about a player on the Flames.

???

To me, it sounds like Feaster was talking about Matt Read, an eastern conference player that Burke would know more about. I'd be surprised if Burke had ever seen Baertschi play before he was hired here.

But honestly, I really don't believe the conversation even took place. It's just Feaster talking to the media.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

???

To me, it sounds like Feaster was talking about Matt Read, an eastern conference player that Burke would know more about. I'd be surprised if Burke had ever seen Baertschi play before he was hired here.

From the interview

“I will tell you I watched him his draft year because we had a player there (in Portland), Brad Ross that I had drafted in Toronto. (Baertschi) is a gifted kid who left home at an early age to make point, to get to a better hockey level. All I’ve seen are flashes of brilliance.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Goodlad

From the interview

Well, that seals it. Obviously Feaster told the media that Burke doesn't like Baertschi the day he was hired.

How could it be any other player?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Well, that seals it. Obviously Feaster told the media that Burke doesn't like Baertschi the day he was hired.

How could it be any other player?

What does it matter when Burke already said he doesn't like him?

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

What does it matter when Burke already said he doesn't like him?

Burke didn't really say that.

Do you guys really think that management would come out and say all the things that they did, dropping Baertschi's value literally to an all-time low, just to trade him?

I mean, if they did trade him after they said these things, that would be unbelievably stupid. I have to have faith that our management group isn't that dumb.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

What does it matter when Burke already said he doesn't like him?

When did he say this? Link please.

[Robo]

It sounds like he is saying baertchi has shown hi s potential at times but doesn't have his game together yet I didn't see anything about him hating baertchi

[FlameZilla]

Sven is on the NHL roster & will be given every opportunity to succeed. It's up to him now to play the way he knows he can. All this panic that Burke 'doesn't like' Bærtschi is ludicrous.

[liamenator]

Tempering fan expectations is a smart strategy, and the comparison made earlier to Kadri is bang on. Very similar circumstances. Also not all that different from the first few years of the Sedins in Van, who started taking some public flack around the same age IIRC. That approached seemed to work out OK.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Robo

It sounds like he is saying baertchi has shown hi s potential at times but doesn't have his game together yet I didn't see anything about him hating baertchi

When you actually hear the interview, it sounds a lot more like this than what people are insinuating. It's not like the guy is wrong. We HAVE only seen flashes of brilliance from Baertschi. He just got here a couple months ago. Not really a whole lot else the guy can say.

[strombad]

CP logic:
Baertschi amazing!
Burke:
Baertschi not amazing yet
CP:
BURKE HATES BAERTSCHI WILL TRADE FOR 7TH ROUND PICK

Never change.

[CliffFletcher]

On the subject of spoiling skilled young players by making them play defensively:

Duhatschek: Pure goal scorers are a thing of the past – it’s a defensive game now

- Globe and Mail