I agree.
- spatso

impossible

Must be a slow day. Go back and check. You asked about my statement. I answered exactly in the context of what I intended by the specific statement. Now it appears you are suggesting that you better understand my intentionality than I do.

This thread was not intended as a negative inventory of Brian Burke's stewardship of the Leafs. That page has been turned. A new broom has taken over. Does it really serve any useful purpose trying to rewrite the decisions made last year?

I can understand your being upset with me because, essentially my interpretation and projections on the Burke era turned out to be accurate. Is that what you are really upset about?
- spatso

Nothing of the sort..... I've never seen anyone more full of themselves. Ever.

Nothing of the sort..... I've never seen anyone more full of themselves. Ever.
- burn

What can I say? I believe in what I believe.

What can I say? I believe in what I believe.
- spatso

Fantasyland

Fantasyland
- burn

Well it appears that Bell Media and the other Leaf owners agreed with me!

Well it appears that Bell Media and the other Leaf owners agreed with me!
- spatso

Right.... There's that fantasyland again. They said themselves it wasn't hockey related, it wasn't performance based.

No so there is no evidence of such.

All of those other deals might look a lot stronger and Burke might still have a job if he had not made the Kessel deal.

You will, of course, remember my prediction of a few years ago that the Senators would rebuild and become an elite team (before the Leafs) and this would cause great frustration, even rage, among the faithful of the Blue and White.

Well my prediction appears to be coming true. Some commentators are predicting the Senators will lead the new Atlantic Division. One respected commentator projected them to win the President's trophy. And, all this change comes for the Senators with the youngest roster in the NHL.

Burke made some good deals. But you need to consider that in the context of what could and should have been. There are some good players on the Leaf roster. But there are no elite talents, except for Kessel. Elite players come through the draft, you need several to make a run at league leadership. The Leafs are still way too far away for an organization that missed the playoffs for most of an entire lost decade. During that time they should have drafted and developed some quality talent.

The best thing about the Kessel deal is that it came to symbolize the hitting of an organizational bottom. Since that deal, the Leafs have started to act more responsibly. But, you still have to wonder why they did not follow other teams (Chicago, Boston, LA, St. Louis, Ottawa) and build an elite team the old fashioned way. They certainly had the opportunity.
- spatso

You're being a little arrogant now by patting yourself on the back for something that hasn't happened. Ottawa finished below the Leafs last season in the standings. It's a little early to crown yourself right. Besides, it's not like you ever thought the Leafs would make the playoffs last season.

Your argument is flawed. You're calling teams (Ottawa) and players (Seguin/Hamilton) elite when they are not. Did you ever think in a million years Seguin would be dumped already by Boston?

Never said that. But, you will remember when Burke came into the job he said he would build through the draft. Soon after, he did the Kessel deal with the same team that had previously stolen Rask. It was a very huge issue for people like me that strongly opposed the Kessel trade.

When I say that Burke might still have a job if he had not done the Kessel deal it is because people like me have not (and, will not) forgive him for going back on his word and giving up top picks for immediate short term relief.

Everyone here knows that I take some personal satisfaction in seeing Burke fired. I am not against the man. But, I have difficulty forgiving anyone who lies to me. And, we know Burke told a whopper.
- spatso

How can you claim that when he traded for a 21 year-old player?

And you have no idea why Burke was fired. Personally, I think he acted like an ass and wasn't a good corporate face for an organization. Nonis is more of a corporate guy.

I think you purposely misread in order to avoid putting matters into perspective.

This thread first started in "Praise of Brian Burke" and it was my intention to offer a positive reflection on his courage in standing up in support of a young athlete.

His dismissal was first raised by others.

Go back and you will see that my issue with the Burke firing is twofold.

First, Burke promised to build through the draft.

Second, he went entirely against that commitment and did the Kessel deal.

So my issue was the fact he promised to break the pattern of the past. My statement,

"Never mind the other trades where the Leafs got fleeced by the Bruins."

Was not about Burke doing the Rask deal. Rather, it was his continuing the practice he promised to stop and then doing it with one of the the teams that was the worst offenders in ripping off the Leafs in previous trade deals.
- spatso

Burke did build through the draft. You're just acting like Kadri, Rielly etc don't exist.

In your mind, Tyler Seguin is a franchise player you build your team around. The reality is, he was traded @ 21 because he played horrific and acted like a drunken fool. And yes, Burke #7 overall pick Kadri, is indeed a superior centre to Seguin right now.

You've bought into the hype the trolls and media fed you. It hasn't worked out like you thought. Kessel has vastly exceeded expectations people had for him.

Burke added #9 overall pick Phaneuf. #2 overall pick JVR. #5 overall pick Kessel. #7 overall pick Lupul. Yet in your mind, these guys aren't really counted because they didn't draft them.

Boston has built around second round picks and trades/UFA signings. You do not need to build like Chicago, Pittsburgh, ETC to contend. Your little Senators have not built through top picks.

You mention Chicago, but leave out Atlanta/Winnipeg, the Islanders, Florida, Columbus. What has building through the draft done for these teams?

Right.... There's that fantasyland again. They said themselves it wasn't hockey related, it wasn't performance based.

No so there is no evidence of such.
- burn

I believe Burke was fired due to off ice, non hockey related matters.

But, I also know the Leafs failure to make the playoffs made him job vulnerable. Had he made the playoffs or had he been able to avoid large segments of the media and the Leaf fan base growing tired of his shtick he might have survived a purge based on personality and/or behavior.

You're being a little arrogant now by patting yourself on the back for something that hasn't happened. Ottawa finished below the Leafs last season in the standings. It's a little early to crown yourself right. Besides, it's not like you ever thought the Leafs would make the playoffs last season.

Your argument is flawed. You're calling teams (Ottawa) and players (Seguin/Hamilton) elite when they are not. Did you ever think in a million years Seguin would be dumped already by Boston?
- RogerRoeper

The Ottawa thing is really important. Many Leaf fans benchmark the progress of the Leafs in relation to other Canadian teams, especially Montreal and Ottawa. Indeed, Leaf post season success over the last 45 years is measured in relation to a non call on a high sticking by Gretsky and a series of first round playoff victories over an emerging and talented Ottawa team. But, those are now historical items.

The Ottawa rebuild is a perplexing and intimidating matter to all Leaf fans. The prediction that I made that got some Leaf fans so twisted was that the Senators would recognize their need for a rebuild, trade some key players, build through the draft and attain elite status before the Leafs. For lack of a precise definition let's assume elite status is becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the eyes of a majority of hockey students. (In that regard I advocated that the Senators should cut deep, including trading Spezza as part of the rebuild.) Clearly my thinking in this regard was shaped by the Kessel deal. Again, I need to stress I never disliked Kessel, as a player, but I despised the deal. The same can be said for the Senators and their deal for Bobby Ryan. Love the player but they gave up way too much talent.

Anyway, it appears that many commentators believe the Senators are now ready for prime time. Is it true they only missed the playoffs one year during their rebuilding period? This is and should be upsetting to many of the Leaf faithful. We wandered in the wilderness for 10 years and commentators ( especially those doing advanced metrics) suggest the Leafs are going to fall back again this year).

I have no difficulty with the idea that Burke did some very good hockey deals. But, in my mind, the Kessel trade was a deal breaker. He broke the promise that he would build through the draft. We will never know how different this team could be had Burke taken a few years to build a deeper talent pool by employing a stronger draft and development priority in those first few years.

Not sure why your so hostile to Seguin. Kid has some off ice issues. Not uncommon in the NHL. He is earning huge bucks at 21 years of age. Boston has a serious cap squeeze so they trade Seguin for Ericsson, pretty good hockey trade for a Stanley Cup finalist. But, you miss the entire issue when you spend your time hoping that Seguin fails in order to prove maybe Burke did a good deal. It was not the players involved, it was the bankruptcy of his conviction to build through the draft.

How can you claim that when he traded for a 21 year-old player?

And you have no idea why Burke was fired. Personally, I think he acted like an ass and wasn't a good corporate face for an organization. Nonis is more of a corporate guy.
- RogerRoeper

This is really important. In dealing for Kessel Burke said it was because the Leafs were ready to contend. They were not and they finished second from the bottom and the Bruins grabbed Seguin. If nothing else, you expect your GM to be able to realistically assess his own talent and player needs. On this count Burke failed miserably.

I believe Burke was fired for some form of personal misconduct. But, I also believe, had the Leafs made the playoffs his situation would have been more secure.

I like Nonis.

Burke did build through the draft. You're just acting like Kadri, Rielly etc don't exist.

In your mind, Tyler Seguin is a franchise player you build your team around. The reality is, he was traded @ 21 because he played horrific and acted like a drunken fool. And yes, Burke #7 overall pick Kadri, is indeed a superior centre to Seguin right now.

You've bought into the hype the trolls and media fed you. It hasn't worked out like you thought. Kessel has vastly exceeded expectations people had for him.

Burke added #9 overall pick Phaneuf. #2 overall pick JVR. #5 overall pick Kessel. #7 overall pick Lupul. Yet in your mind, these guys aren't really counted because they didn't draft them.

Boston has built around second round picks and trades/UFA signings. You do not need to build like Chicago, Pittsburgh, ETC to contend. Your little Senators have not built through top picks.

You mention Chicago, but leave out Atlanta/Winnipeg, the Islanders, Florida, Columbus. What has building through the draft done for these teams?
- RogerRoeper

Now your sounding bitter. Ultimately hockey is a scoreboard game. The Leafs did exceedingly well on the scoreboard last year. And, I do not think they will fall off from last year, I think they will be tough to play every night.

Not sure how to respond to your point that the Leafs have a bunch of top round draft picks (taken by other teams). Are you sure you want to argue that point from that perspective? Perhaps your looking at this upside down. Take the 8 teams that went deeper into the playoffs than the Leafs last year. Now, for each of them, count the number of players on their roster that they originally drafted. Compare the similar total for the Leafs. My guess is you will find that the recent Stanley Cup winners (Chicago, LA, Boston) are rich in home grown talent.

The Ottawa thing is really important. Many Leaf fans benchmark the progress of the Leafs in relation to other Canadian teams, especially Montreal and Ottawa. Indeed, Leaf post season success over the last 45 years is measured in relation to a non call on a high sticking by Gretsky and a series of first round playoff victories over an emerging and talented Ottawa team. But, those are now historical items.

The Ottawa rebuild is a perplexing and intimidating matter to all Leaf fans. The prediction that I made that got some Leaf fans so twisted was that the Senators would recognize their need for a rebuild, trade some key players, build through the draft and attain elite status before the Leafs. For lack of a precise definition let's assume elite status is becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the eyes of a majority of hockey students. (In that regard I advocated that the Senators should cut deep, including trading Spezza as part of the rebuild.) Clearly my thinking in this regard was shaped by the Kessel deal. Again, I need to stress I never disliked Kessel, as a player, but I despised the deal. The same can be said for the Senators and their deal for Bobby Ryan. Love the player but they gave up way too much talent.

Anyway, it appears that many commentators believe the Senators are now ready for prime time. Is it true they only missed the playoffs one year during their rebuilding period? This is and should be upsetting to many of the Leaf faithful. We wandered in the wilderness for 10 years and commentators ( especially those doing advanced metrics) suggest the Leafs are going to fall back again this year).

I have no difficulty with the idea that Burke did some very good hockey deals. But, in my mind, the Kessel trade was a deal breaker. He broke the promise that he would build through the draft. We will never know how different this team could be had Burke taken a few years to build a deeper talent pool by employing a stronger draft and development priority in those first few years.

Not sure why your so hostile to Seguin. Kid has some off ice issues. Not uncommon in the NHL. He is earning huge bucks at 21 years of age. Boston has a serious cap squeeze so they trade Seguin for Ericsson, pretty good hockey trade for a Stanley Cup finalist. But, you miss the entire issue when you spend your time hoping that Seguin fails in order to prove maybe Burke did a good deal. It was not the players involved, it was the bankruptcy of his conviction to build through the draft.
- spatso

That's rich.

I believe Burke was fired due to off ice, non hockey related matters.

But, I also know the Leafs failure to make the playoffs made him job vulnerable. Had he made the playoffs or had he been able to avoid large segments of the media and the Leaf fan base growing tired of his shtick he might have survived a purge based on personality and/or behavior.
- spatso

Slight contradiction there.

The Ottawa thing is really important. Many Leaf fans benchmark the progress of the Leafs in relation to other Canadian teams, especially Montreal and Ottawa. Indeed, Leaf post season success over the last 45 years is measured in relation to a non call on a high sticking by Gretsky and a series of first round playoff victories over an emerging and talented Ottawa team. But, those are now historical items.

The Ottawa rebuild is a perplexing and intimidating matter to all Leaf fans. The prediction that I made that got some Leaf fans so twisted was that the Senators would recognize their need for a rebuild, trade some key players, build through the draft and attain elite status before the Leafs. For lack of a precise definition let's assume elite status is becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the eyes of a majority of hockey students. (In that regard I advocated that the Senators should cut deep, including trading Spezza as part of the rebuild.) Clearly my thinking in this regard was shaped by the Kessel deal. Again, I need to stress I never disliked Kessel, as a player, but I despised the deal. The same can be said for the Senators and their deal for Bobby Ryan. Love the player but they gave up way too much talent.

Anyway, it appears that many commentators believe the Senators are now ready for prime time. Is it true they only missed the playoffs one year during their rebuilding period? This is and should be upsetting to many of the Leaf faithful. We wandered in the wilderness for 10 years and commentators ( especially those doing advanced metrics) suggest the Leafs are going to fall back again this year).

I have no difficulty with the idea that Burke did some very good hockey deals. But, in my mind, the Kessel trade was a deal breaker. He broke the promise that he would build through the draft. We will never know how different this team could be had Burke taken a few years to build a deeper talent pool by employing a stronger draft and development priority in those first few years.

Not sure why your so hostile to Seguin. Kid has some off ice issues. Not uncommon in the NHL. He is earning huge bucks at 21 years of age. Boston has a serious cap squeeze so they trade Seguin for Ericsson, pretty good hockey trade for a Stanley Cup finalist. But, you miss the entire issue when you spend your time hoping that Seguin fails in order to prove maybe Burke did a good deal. It was not the players involved, it was the bankruptcy of his conviction to build through the draft.
- spatso

Who??

The Ottawa thing is really important. Many Leaf fans benchmark the progress of the Leafs in relation to other Canadian teams, especially Montreal and Ottawa. Indeed, Leaf post season success over the last 45 years is measured in relation to a non call on a high sticking by Gretsky and a series of first round playoff victories over an emerging and talented Ottawa team. But, those are now historical items.

The Ottawa rebuild is a perplexing and intimidating matter to all Leaf fans. The prediction that I made that got some Leaf fans so twisted was that the Senators would recognize their need for a rebuild, trade some key players, build through the draft and attain elite status before the Leafs. For lack of a precise definition let's assume elite status is becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the eyes of a majority of hockey students. (In that regard I advocated that the Senators should cut deep, including trading Spezza as part of the rebuild.) Clearly my thinking in this regard was shaped by the Kessel deal. Again, I need to stress I never disliked Kessel, as a player, but I despised the deal. The same can be said for the Senators and their deal for Bobby Ryan. Love the player but they gave up way too much talent.

Anyway, it appears that many commentators believe the Senators are now ready for prime time. Is it true they only missed the playoffs one year during their rebuilding period? This is and should be upsetting to many of the Leaf faithful. We wandered in the wilderness for 10 years and commentators ( especially those doing advanced metrics) suggest the Leafs are going to fall back again this year).

I have no difficulty with the idea that Burke did some very good hockey deals. But, in my mind, the Kessel trade was a deal breaker. He broke the promise that he would build through the draft. We will never know how different this team could be had Burke taken a few years to build a deeper talent pool by employing a stronger draft and development priority in those first few years.

Not sure why your so hostile to Seguin. Kid has some off ice issues. Not uncommon in the NHL. He is earning huge bucks at 21 years of age. Boston has a serious cap squeeze so they trade Seguin for Ericsson, pretty good hockey trade for a Stanley Cup finalist. But, you miss the entire issue when you spend your time hoping that Seguin fails in order to prove maybe Burke did a good deal. It was not the players involved, it was the bankruptcy of his conviction to build through the draft.
- spatso

No need to hope..... it's happening right before our eyes. The Kessel deal is far better than anyone cares to admit to.


Didn't happen to catch the playoffs did you??

I believe Burke was fired due to off ice, non hockey related matters.

But, I also know the Leafs failure to make the playoffs made him job vulnerable. Had he made the playoffs or had he been able to avoid large segments of the media and the Leaf fan base growing tired of his shtick he might have survived a purge based on personality and/or behavior.
- spatso

If you, of all people, knew Burke's job was vulnerable due to an inability to make the playoffs, then there is a good chance he knew just as well, correct?

What is one of the most obvious acts of a GM, desperate to make the playoffs, in order to save his job? Would it be to trade youth/prospects/picks for immediate veteran help?

So in the year or so leading up to his firing, why do we not see Burke making such desperate trades to all but guarantee a playoff birth for the Leafs. And forget bringing up the Luongo fiasco as there is no way to know what really happened either way and the trade never happened

The possibilities are then:
1) He gave up and decided to mail in his effort until he was fired or his contract ran out. (he doesn't seem like the type to give up when the chips are down)
2) Was unaware that the owners wanted to fire him due to lack of playoff appearances (not likely for Burke to see that coming since you apparently did)
3) Burke knew the owners were looking for long term success and was determined to get to the playoffs through youth development and trades for key pieces without giving up youth in the process. Thus his firing had nothing to do with a lack of making the playoffs.

Why would an an ownership group wait until just days before the season was to start to fire their GM for not being able to make the playoffs the previous season?

No need to hope..... it's happening right before our eyes. The Kessel deal is far better than anyone cares to admit to.


Didn't happen to catch the playoffs did you??
- burn

Not much content in your responses. When you read several points, embolden a few words and respond only to the highlighted point without regard to the larger context it makes it very difficult to understand the point you are trying to make.

For example, i do not know if your doubting, disagreeing (or just not knowing) about the numbers of guys using advanced statistics to project the Leafs falling back this year. I believe the Leafs are going to be very competitive. I am not a believer in the power of advanced metrification of hockey data. Yet, I have no difficulty acknowledging that there are lots of believers who are making negative growth Leaf projections.

If you, of all people, knew Burke's job was vulnerable due to an inability to make the playoffs, then there is a good chance he knew just as well, correct?

What is one of the most obvious acts of a GM, desperate to make the playoffs, in order to save his job? Would it be to trade youth/prospects/picks for immediate veteran help?

So in the year or so leading up to his firing, why do we not see Burke making such desperate trades to all but guarantee a playoff birth for the Leafs. And forget bringing up the Luongo fiasco as there is no way to know what really happened either way and the trade never happened

The possibilities are then:
1) He gave up and decided to mail in his effort until he was fired or his contract ran out. (he doesn't seem like the type to give up when the chips are down)
2) Was unaware that the owners wanted to fire him due to lack of playoff appearances (not likely for Burke to see that coming since you apparently did)
3) Burke knew the owners were looking for long term success and was determined to get to the playoffs through youth development and trades for key pieces without giving up youth in the process. Thus his firing had nothing to do with a lack of making the playoffs.

Why would an an ownership group wait until just days before the season was to start to fire their GM for not being able to make the playoffs the previous season?
- Bouncing_Bettys

I think that is a pretty good account of the situation.

My interpretation is that ownership (Bell) wanted to fire him for off ice issues and management style reasons. I believe he was fired at the last minute in a shock announcement because Bell feared he might make the playoffs in a shortened season and it would have made it so much harder to release him.

Remember, when they did fire him there was not much media support in his corner. Lots of stories about the failure of team to make playoffs and the negative consequences coming from the Kessel trade.

I never saw the sens as a real "rebuild", they already had and kept Spezza, alfredson, Karlsson, Gonchar, Neil. All core players on the team for years before 2011 when the Sens traded a few players at the deadline.

The thing that Brian Murray did properly was sell to the Fans that a "rebuild" was needed and underway. Burke told the fans he was going to win and make the playoffs. The leafs needed a complete tear down, the sens moved out some role players, but not one star in 2011.

Kovalev for conditional pick
Elliot for anderson
Ruttu for 6th
Fisher for 2011 1st
Chris Kelly for 2nd

The x-faxtor for me is Karlsson, if he does not become one of the best players in the NHL out of almost knowhere..the Sens are not nearly as strong. Again, they drafted him in 2008, 3 years before the "rebuild" when the rebuild started he was ready for prime time..all very good timing for the sens.

If Burke had just said what Murray did (3 year rebuild is underway) and not promised anything, the comparisons would end. In fact Burke should have said 4-5 year rebuild project... I was ready for one at the time.

Not much content in your responses. When you read several points, embolden a few words and respond only to the highlighted point without regard to the larger context it makes it very difficult to understand the point you are trying to make.

For example, i do not know if your doubting, disagreeing (or just not knowing) about the numbers of guys using advanced statistics to project the Leafs falling back this year. I believe the Leafs are going to be very competitive. I am not a believer in the power of advanced metrification of hockey data. Yet, I have no difficulty acknowledging that there are lots of believers who are making negative growth Leaf projections.
- spatso

I do t give a poop about the number of hacks in their basement using advanced stats. It's nonsense. Unproven and incredibly flawed.


Real hockey publications (ie THN are saying otherwise regarding the leafs and the playoffs)

If you're having a hard time understanding what is writen Perhaps you could ask someone nearby to explain it. It's right there in black and white, writen in plain English. You only have your self to blame it you are having issues understanding.

I never saw the sens as a real "rebuild", they already had and kept Spezza, alfredson, Karlsson, Gonchar, Neil. All core players on the team for years before 2011 when the Sens traded a few players at the deadline.

The thing that Brian Murray did properly was sell to the Fans that a "rebuild" was needed and underway. Burke told the fans he was going to win and make the playoffs. The leafs needed a complete tear down, the sens moved out some role players, but not one star in 2011.

Kovalev for conditional pick
Elliot for anderson
Ruttu for 6th
Fisher for 2011 1st
Chris Kelly for 2nd

The x-faxtor for me is Karlsson, if he does not become one of the best players in the NHL out of almost knowhere..the Sens are not nearly as strong. Again, they drafted him in 2008, 3 years before the "rebuild" when the rebuild started he was ready for prime time..all very good timing for the sens.

If Burke had just said what Murray did (3 year rebuild is underway) and not promised anything, the comparisons would end. In fact Burke should have said 4-5 year rebuild project... I was ready for one at the time.
- senstroll

I don't agree with your characterization for the Senators re-build.

They dealt away Mike Fisher (for two picks not one), Chris Kelly, Alex Kovalev, Chris Campoli, Jarkko Ruutu and then flipped picks with Detroit at the draft to stockpile four choices among the first 31 in the up coming entry draft.

They also had a depth of talent to draw from their Calder Cup winning farm club in addition to the draft picks they acquired.

I never saw the sens as a real "rebuild", they already had and kept Spezza, alfredson, Karlsson, Gonchar, Neil. All core players on the team for years before 2011 when the Sens traded a few players at the deadline.

The thing that Brian Murray did properly was sell to the Fans that a "rebuild" was needed and underway. Burke told the fans he was going to win and make the playoffs. The leafs needed a complete tear down, the sens moved out some role players, but not one star in 2011.

Kovalev for conditional pick
Elliot for anderson
Ruttu for 6th
Fisher for 2011 1st
Chris Kelly for 2nd

The x-faxtor for me is Karlsson, if he does not become one of the best players in the NHL out of almost knowhere..the Sens are not nearly as strong. Again, they drafted him in 2008, 3 years before the "rebuild" when the rebuild started he was ready for prime time..all very good timing for the sens.

If Burke had just said what Murray did (3 year rebuild is underway) and not promised anything, the comparisons would end. In fact Burke should have said 4-5 year rebuild project... I was ready for one at the time.
- senstroll

Generally agree, especially on Karlsson being an X factor. If he is top 10 in scoring, if the Sens have a good season and if he plays top minutes and Sweden gets to the gold medal game (win or lose) he not only wins Norris he is in running for MVP.

Agree entirely on Burke. He made a terrible strategic error on the Kessel deal. Leaf fans were ready for the rebuild (a la Chicago) and he was never able to recover the high ground after dealing the picks. Regular season was over by Christmas and long suffering fans had to endure all the Boston chatter of "thank you Kessel." It was horrendous. By the the time Burke was fired he had very little media support. He simply shot his mouth off too many times and had entirely blown his credibility.

But, let's be honest. Except for the strategic error of dealing for Kessel (nobody disputes Kessel is a great player) Burke did a first class job. Yet, as you suggest, he raised expectations and sometimes did not think when reporters put a microphone in front of him.

I believe he will be back in the NHL sooner than many expect.

First, he has to be a serious contender to replace Sather when he retires.

Second, if the Flyers stumble out of the gate, Snyder will go outside the Flyer culture (Hextall is not ready). Burke and Snyder is a match made in heaven.

Third, my long shot, a rehabilitated Burke is a natural fit in Ottawa to replace a retiring Bryan Murray,

I don't agree with your characterization for the Senators re-build.

They dealt away Mike Fisher (for two picks not one), Chris Kelly, Alex Kovalev, Chris Campoli, Jarkko Ruutu and then flipped picks with Detroit at the draft to stockpile four choices among the first 31 in the up coming entry draft.

They also had a depth of talent to draw from their Calder Cup winning farm club in addition to the draft picks they acquired.
- Doppleganger

I don't think this is really inconsistant with the point he was making.