[News] Calgary Flames' struggles wearing on honcho Brian Burke

[strombad]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Really? C'mon...

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by DOOM

And no other team wanted him for free?

Those 5 teams made a mistake, and I'm sure they each regret it.

Originally Posted by DOOM

I like Russell and he has been solid, but I don't want to give him any longer then a 1 year deal, if he plays good again, then we can take about a longer term deal.

Then don't. We aren't obligated to. He has free reign.
July first frenzy will only be more so in his favour, as the cap goes up, and many teams could easily slot him as a 4/5 guy, and pay him average salary.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Umm what's you point?

That he's only 4th on that list because players better than him were hurt.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Paying market value for an elite goal scorer isn't necessarily a bad trade. If you take Kessel off that Leafs team they are probably in the mix for a top 5 draft pick.

Seguin plus Hamilton would make them much better than they are right now

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I know of one player that doesn't like Burke for sure. My thoughts.......who cares. What a shock, in an organization of 20 plus players, I bet quite a few don't like the boss. At my company, tones of folks don't like our boss, I do.

Pretty par for the course for the work place. I bet some players didn't like Feaster, and I bet tones didn't like D.Sutter. Burke's role isn't to "be liked" by the players, it's to assemble a winning team long term. He's the man that trades and signs them or chooses not to......probably best he's not their best bud. And to be honest, I'm pretty comfortable shipping out folks who don't want to be here cause Burke makes them uncomfy.....players who can manage the demands and situations Burke throws at the seems like folks that have the ability to rise above. Those are the kind of players I want playing for this team in game 7s a few years from now when we are back in the playoffs, not guys who'd rather be coddled, I have far less confidence in guys like that when the going gets tough and it's all on the line.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

That he's only 4th on that list because players better than him were hurt.

Ya, he'd be 6th. Still pretty good.

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Seguin plus Hamilton would make them much better than they are right now

Arguable.

Also "much better" is a huge stretch, imo.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

Ya, he'd be 6th. Still pretty good.

Stamkos, Crosby, and Neal would all pass him. Datsyuk and Toews would be breathing down his neck. Hell, even Hall would be and he's terrible.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Seguin plus Hamilton would make them much better than they are right now

I think that's debatable and I like Seguin.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I think the team just sucks. No conspiracy theories just a very bad team

We (I know I did anyway) talked in the offseason as this could be maybe the worst Flames team ever when you looked at them on paper. The solid start kind of quelled that thinking for a while but really this team is exactly where most of us thought it would be. No elite players. No top (on most teams) line players. No unquestioned starting quality goaltender. Below average defensive group. This is an expansion team quality roster.

Really the only think that has surprised me this season is that the Oilers have been healthy and are still behind us in the standings.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Really the only think that has surprised me this season is that the Oilers have been healthy and are still behind us in the standings.

Even after significantly upgrading their goaltending.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I know of one player that doesn't like Burke for sure. My thoughts.......who cares. What a shock, in an organization of 20 plus players, I bet quite a few don't like the boss. At my company, tones of folks don't like our boss, I do.

Pretty par for the course for the work place. I bet some players didn't like Feaster, and I bet tones didn't like D.Sutter. Burke's role isn't to "be liked" by the players, it's to assemble a winning team long term. He's the man that trades and signs them or chooses not to......probably best he's not their best bud. And to be honest, I'm pretty comfortable shipping out folks who don't want to be here cause Burke makes them uncomfy.....players who can manage the demands and situations Burke throws at the seems like folks that have the ability to rise above. Those are the kind of players I want playing for this team in game 7s a few years from now when we are back in the playoffs, not guys who'd rather be coddled, I have far less confidence in guys like that when the going gets tough and it's all on the line.

I agree in general (though I'm still not entirely sure what purpose his negativity serves other than to justify his decision to fire Feaster), but I wouldn't mind if he were a little more positive about our college guys who have the ability to go somewhere else when they graduate if they think the organization isn't all that high on them.

[dying4acup]

My opinion of Russell was low whaen we acquired him. Assumed he would be in abbotsford at the start of the year. Once I saw him play, I believed he was our 4th best defenseman when the season started.

After the Smid trade I figured he was our #5.

Since he was injured, I've seen the flames defense failure to generate offense. Failure to score. And failure to to skate the puck out of the zone.

I would keep Russell. Burke night not want to to, but I would.

If give him 3m/2yr or 2.25/3yr at the most. If if he can get more, wish him the best of luck.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by dying4acup

My opinion of Russell was low whaen we acquired him. Assumed he would be in abbotsford at the start of the year. Once I saw him play, I believed he was our 4th best defenseman when the season started.

After the Smid trade I figured he was our #5.

Since he was injured, I've seen the flames defense failure to generate offense. Failure to score. And failure to to skate the puck out of the zone.

I would keep Russell. Burke night not want to to, but I would.

If give him 3m/2yr or 2.25/3yr at the most. If if he can get more, wish him the best of luck.

You're not going to keep him at that offer. Your offer is less than the salary of an average defenseman in today's market, especially for one that is going to sign this contract into his prime performing years. 27-30.

On our club he's a #3 defenseman. Contending clubs he's a 4/5.

[dying4acup]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

You're not going to keep him at that offer. Your offer is less than the salary of an average defenseman in today's market, especially for one that is going to sign this contract into his prime performing years. 27-30.

On our club he's a #3 defenseman. Contending clubs he's a 4/5.

Then he goes. I don't think he gets anymore long term security than that. That said, I don't think Burke gives him that much, and I will bet he doesn't get a 9m+ deal in free agency. He hasn't accomplished that mush

[868904]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

You're not going to keep him at that offer. Your offer is less than the salary of an average defenseman in today's market, especially for one that is going to sign this contract into his prime performing years. 27-30.

On our club he's a #3 defenseman. Contending clubs he's a 4/5.

No on a contending club he's waiver fodder. See St. Louis.

He's a 4/5 on a bubble team maybe.

He's the new Marc Andre Bergeron.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Seguin plus Hamilton would make them much better than they are right now

Much better? Please.

Oh look, Kessel is outscoring Seguin *Again*.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Phil Kessel has the 4th most points and goals over the last 3 seasons.

I actually still think Burke at worst made an equal trade, and that only occured because Toronto was terrible and the pick was high.

Take a peek, and you may be surprised!
http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/seaso...ers-stats.html

And Phil is not doing that with some elite centre. The guy is an offensive star that Burke got at age 21. I don't think people get how hard that is to do.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Seguin plus Hamilton would make them much better than they are right now

As of today? No, 2 or 3 years time? Very possible.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

And trading two high picks for kessel...

2 firsts is too much for Phil? And you guys think an aging Cammelari should fetch h at least 1 first.

Phil Kessel is terribly underrated. The stats don't lie.

Getting a 21 year-old top 5 pick who just had a breakthrough season will not come cheap.