"Just stop enough of the limitless critical comments on my life, just drop the judgement and all the pseudo-involvement in my life." -- Disturbed, "Just Stop."
It is unlikely the band knew Brian Burke when they wrote the song, which is ironically played at most Anaheim Ducks home games, but it could not be any more appropriate.
Just ask Kevin Lowe.
Or, for that matter, anyone else who is tired of the gong show in Anaheim.
At one point, the bombastic general manager of the Anaheim Ducks was entertaining. He seemed to be a breath of fresh air, a bit of honesty, a front office man with an entertainment factor.
That seems like such a long time ago.
Yes, Burke presided over last year's Stanley Cup championship squad, so it seems a bit odd to criticize him at this point. However, at a certain point, it is hard to take anymore.
Like most people who grew up in Canada or the United States' hockey belt, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the game. I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the people in the game, so writing a column criticizing anyone who has reached this level is not something I aim to do.
Having said that -- Burke, please quit talking.
And while you are at it, please show some of that aforementioned respect to your colleagues.
At some point, it goes from entertaining and honest to self-centered and bombastic. That line seemed to be crossed months ago, but if there was any question, just look at his recent interview on TSN.
"If I had run my team into the sewer like that I wouldn't throw a grenade at the other 29 teams and my own indirectly," Burke told TSN's James Duthie. "So I have no intention of speaking to him anytime soon."
Burke went on to say would not even talk to Lowe if he wanted to talk trade with the Oilers later in the season, saying assistant GM Bob Murray would contact the Oilers.
Don't bother. There's no reason for Lowe to listen to anything coming from Anaheim at this point.
The comment that Lowe has run the team into the sewer is absurd. For years, Lowe found a way to get the low-budget Oilers into the playoffs, even at a time when the loonie dipped as low as 61 cents U.S.
In the 2005-06 season, Lowe's Oilers came one game away from winning the Stanley Cup. The next year, they found themselves a few points out of the playoff picture at the trade deadline, and at that point, the wheels indeed came off.
Without their top two goal scorers from last season, as well as Scott Niedermayer, there is no guarantee the same thing will not happen to Anaheim this year, which makes Burke's comments even more odd. Still, the Oilers could easily be playoff-bound once again this year, thanks to rookies like Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano, as well as free-agent additions such as Sheldon Souray, Joni Pitkanen, and.... Dustin Penner.
Of course, the latter is the cause for Burke's comments. Burke flew off the handle when Lowe offered Penner -- a restricted free agent -- a five-year offer sheet worth $4.3 million per year.
In rejecting the chance to match the offer sheet, Burke said he would be as stupid as the guy who made the offer if he matched the offer.
Keep in mind Penner had 29 goals last season. Burke gave $4 million per year to Todd Bertuzzi, a similar player to Penner, except he had just 3 goals last season and is battling chronic back injuries.
It is very hard to understand why Burke thinks Lowe's offer was stupid, given his signing of Bertuzzi at that amount. Yet somehow, this is not surprising.
Burke has made some off the wall comments in the past, such as defending Donald Brashear's taunting of the opposition bench after scoring a goal. Burke said after the incident Brashear had done nothing wrong and if people did not like that, to pass a rule against excessive celebration.
As is so often the case, he missed the point. Celebrating goals is part of hockey -- thankfully, this is not the No Fun League (NFL). Taunting is not. But Burke failed to grasp the lack of class in Brashear's actions.
Ironically, Brashear's taunting of the Boston bench a few months later helped lead to the infamous incident involving him and Marty McSorley.
On an interview with Home Ice XM 204 last season, Burke defended his decision to vote against meaningful change to the NHL schedule. He said the team polled season ticket holders, and there was "only" 16 percentage point difference between those who wanted change and those who did not.
Last time I looked, 16 percentage points was pretty overwhelming.
At the same time, Burke went on TSN and said he strongly opposed every team going to every arena every year -- the only solution that pleases most fans. The next night, he went on the Ducks' pre-game show on FSN Prime Ticket and said the fans wanted change and he definitely wanted some kind of change.
Which is it, Brian? You keep opposing every team in every arena, saying the most you will go to is seeing teams from the opposite conference every other year in each arena. Yet you seem to indicate to the home fans you favor meaningful change.
Perhaps something is being lost in the translation. Half the Eastern teams in the West every year is not meaningful change -- it is only two or three more games against the other conference. And that is not meaningful by any standards.
In the current situation with Lowe, Burke simply does not make sense. Yes, Burke won the Stanley Cup last year, and he seems rightfully aware. But it was far from all Burke -- a lot of the credit goes to former GM Bryan Murray.
Burke inherited an organization with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz (who actually left through waivers and was claimed back under Burke), and perhaps most importantly, Rob Niedermayer.
Scott Niedermayer signed with the Ducks largely because of his brother's presence. The brothers are very close, and Rob was the one without a Stanley Cup. Winning a Stanley Cup with his brother completed the elder Niedermayer's career, and many feel he would have signed anywhere his brother was playing.
Burke did a good job in dumping salaries such as Sergei Fedorov, Petr Sykora, and Sandis Ozolinsh, and the Chris Pronger trade worked out well. Yet once again, Anaheim would not likely have been on Pronger's list of potential teams had it not been for the ground work done prior to Burke's arrival.
Unfortunately, too much of the time, it all seems to be about Burke. What other organization can say their highest profile person is not a player or a coach, but rather, a general manager?
1. Buffalo Sabres (Northeast Division Champion) -- The departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere got most of the off-season headlines, but the Sabres are as much about system as individual players. And the Sabres have plenty of offensive firepower in the likes of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Maxim Afinogenov, Drew Stafford, Derek Roy..... you get the idea. The Sabres might not match last year's point total, but they will be close.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (Atlantic Division Champions) -- With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal, the Pens have more than enough firepower to contend for the Stanley Cup. Ryan Whitney is one of the league's most underrated blueliners, but that could change soon as Pittsburgh continues to get more media attention. If Marc-Andre Fleury plays as he is capable of, Pittsburgh will win the tough Atlantic Division.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (Southeast Division Champions) -- Talk about a close division -- it is easy to see anyone in the Southeast finishing anywhere from first to fifth. The Lightning feature a potent attack with Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brad Richards, but it is the blueline that could make or break the team. Dan Boyle will miss significant time at the start of the season due to injury, but Paul Ranger and Shane O'Brien could be set for breakout years. The question, as always, is goaltending. If they cannot solve the problems in-house, look for Tampa to trade for a goalie by mid-season.
4. New York Rangers -- Most hockey fans know the Rangers can score goals, and most hockey fans know Henrik Lundqvist can keep the puck out of the net. The question will again be the blueline. In every other way, the Rangers look like a Stanley Cup contender, but question marks on the back end mean Lundqvist could face a lot of rubber. The potential of multiple 5-4 and 6-5 games in North America's largest market can only make the NHL salivate at the thought.
5. Ottawa Senators -- There is no reason to believe Ottawa will not be competitive. After a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Sens had a solid pre-season. Still, something seems off-kilter in Ottawa. Ray Emery's health is an issue, while Dany Heatley's contract requests have been met with shock and dismay by many. Perhaps everything comes together, but at the same time, something just seems unsettling in Ottawa.
6. New Jersey Devils -- Scott Gomez is gone. Brian Rafalski is gone. Colin White's status is in doubt as a result of an eye injury. So why the cause for optimism in New Jersey? New coach Brent Sutter became one of the league's best bench bosses the day he took the job. His work with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels and the Canadian national junior team is legendary, and there is every reason to believe he will find similar success in Newark.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Vesa Toskala's days in Toronto got off to a shaky start in pre-season, but anyone who has watched the San Jose Sharks knows this goalie is for real. If Toskala plays up to his capability, the Leafs will challenge for the Northeast Division title. Jason Blake may or may not be the long-awaited sniper to play with Mats Sundin -- do not be surprised if the Leafs continue to play Sundin with Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov -- but he adds another weapon to an already strong attack.
8. Florida Panthers -- The way the Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi trade turned out -- or failed to turn out -- for the Panthers, you would think negativity would prevail in the Everglades. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tomas Vokoun came over in a trade with Nashville, solidifying the situation between the pipes. Jay Bouwmeester seems ready to take the next step towards being a top-flight defenseman, and the Panthers' young guns up front continue to progress. If it all comes together, there is no reason the Panthers will not make the playoffs.
9. New York Islanders -- In many ways, this team is a classic Ted Nolan squad. Nolan has always excelled at taking a group of players and having them overachieve, and this team seems perfectly suited to that philosophy. Bill Guerin is the key addition, but look for Ruslan Fedotenko to regain his pre-lockout form. No contract disputes between the pipes here -- Rick DiPietro still has 13 years left on his contract. The way he played last year, they might be talking extension if he repeats last year's performance.
10. Washington Capitals -- The Caps stayed in the playoff race longer than last year's finish indicated, and they have high hopes for this season. Alex Ovechkin continues to be one of the game's best young talents, and his goal scoring prowess is second to none. Olaf Kolzig has been a fixture in goal for Washington, and he seems to have a few more good seasons left. In a super-tight Southeast Division, it would not be a surprise if Washington soared to the top of the pack.
11. Philadelphia Flyers -- The Flyers made more moves than any other team over the past several months, even if many of them came during the final half of last season. The contract for Daniel Briere could go either way -- if Briere produces like he did in Buffalo, it could be reasonable. But many feel Briere was the beneficiary of an up-tempo system in Buffalo, and adjusting to Flyers hockey could be difficult. The talent is there in Philadelphia, but it remains to be seen how it all comes together.
12. Carolina Hurricanes -- Just two seasons removed from a Stanley Cup victory, the Canes continue to be a team of question marks. Cam Ward has looked solid through preseason, and the offensive firepower still remains. If Carolina is to be in the midst of the playoff race, they must get a big season from Eric Staal. He fell 30 points last season from his 100-point campaign in 2005-06, and the Canes fell accordingly.
13. Montreal Canadiens -- The Habs surprised many by keeping rookie goalie Carey Price on the roster, but it will not be a further surprise if he is the starter by November. After a stellar junior career with the WHL's Tri-City Americans, Price joined the Hamilton Bulldogs for the AHL playoffs and led the squad to a Calder Cup championship. If Price comes up with a Patrick Roy-like rookie performance, Montreal could be in the thick of the Northeast Division race.
14. Atlanta Thrashers -- After a fast start last season, the Thrashers were average for the second half of the season. A four-game first round exit to the New York Rangers highlighted the team's weaknesses, and significant change has occurred. Atlanta has become one of the league's smallest teams in a season when most teams are getting bigger, and that could go either way. Coach Bob Hartley has been hesitant to show confidence in Kari Lehtonen, and that is rarely a good sign.
15. Boston Bruins -- The Bruins should be better this year in just about every way. Zdeno Chara should be better than last year. Claude Julien comes in with an impressive track record behind the bench. A full season from Brandon Bochenski could establish him as a legitimate 30-goal scorer. Still, in a competitive Eastern Conference where there is little to pick and choose between teams, the Bruins face an uphill battle to make the playoffs.
Rankings in a balanced-schedule league, followed by actual predictions:
1. Detroit Red Wings (Central Division Champions) -- A lethal combination of a talented team and a weak division. Ageless blueliners Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios join newcomer Brian Rafalski to form one of the league's elite defensive corps. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk lead a typically strong Detroit attack.
2. San Jose Sharks (Pacific Division Champions) -- As if Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Jonathan Cheechoo were not enough, rookie Devin Setoguchi appears set to light the division on fire. Evgeni Nabokov is now the clear starter in goal, and while newcomer Jeremy Roenick is well past his prime, his grit and quotability might be just what this quiet squad needs.
3. Colorado Avalanche (Northwest Division Champions) -- Joe Sakic has been in his prime for more than 15 years, yet he shows no signs of slowing down. Ryan Smyth is a huge addition to a forward corps that already includes talented youngsters Paul Stastny, Wojtek Wolski, and Marek Svatos. If the blueliners and goaltending come through, the Avs will be a formidable force.
4. Calgary Flames -- Mike Keenan might have a short expiry date everywhere he goes, but he seems like the perfect fit for this squad. A team built on hard work underachieved last season, and the likes of Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf give the Flames solid, heart-and-soul leaders. Mikka Kiprusoff will be better than last year, and the Flames are again a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
5. Vancouver Canucks -- Sure, the Canucks need to find a way to score more goals. But when Roberto Luongo is between the pipes, it does not take many goals to win. Coach Alain Vigneault got the most out of this team last season by keeping things light-hearted off the ice, and the approach played dividends. There is no reason to expect a major drop-off this year, despite playing in the league's deepest division.
6. Los Angeles Kings -- Yes, you read that right -- the Kings could be this year's Penguins. The projected top line of Anze Kopitar, Michael Cammalleri, and Dustin Brown will be as entertaining as any in the league. The defensive corps are deep with Lubomir Visnovsky, Rob Blake, Tom Preissing, Brad Stuart, and youngster Jack Johnson. If 19-year-old goalie Jonathan Bernier lives up to his potential at this early stage in his career, the Kings are playoff-bound.
7. Anaheim Ducks -- For the sake of predictions, one must presume Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer will not be back. If they come back, the Ducks again become contenders. Without them and Dustin Penner, scoring could be a problem. Jean-Sebastien Giguere starts the year injured, and that has spelled trouble in the past. If Selke Trophy candidate Samuel Pahlsson misses much of the season recovering from sports hernia surgery -- and he could -- the Ducks could be in for a long season.
8. Edmonton Oilers -- Forget the doom and gloom predictions -- prior to the trade deadline, this was a contending team last season. Sure, Ryan Smyth will be missed, but Kevin Lowe added offense both up front and on the blueline in Dustin Penner, Sheldon Souray, and Joni Pitkanen. Rookies Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano have been battling for the top-line center position, and both look to have a major impact.
9. Nashville Predators -- After being depleted at just about every position, the last thing the Predators needed to hear was Steve Sullivan being gone for a significant portion of the season with a back injury. While Nashville has some depth, they could struggle to score goals this season. Chris Mason must build on his promising stints in goal for the Predators to be competitive. In any other division, this team would fall further than ninth.
10. Minnesota Wild -- No question, the Wild are a stronger team than Nashville. But as long as the NHL has such an unbalanced schedule -- and it should not be much longer from all indications -- strong teams in tough divisions are penalized. If Marian Gaborik stays healthy and plays 82 games, look for Minnesota to make the playoffs. There is no question they belong there -- if they were in the Central Division, they'd contend for the division crown.
11. Dallas Stars -- The Stars struggled to score goals last season, and there is no indication that will change this time around. Marty Turco is one of the league's top goaltenders, and the defensive corps is reliable. Once again, the Stars are the victims of their schedule -- an improved Los Angeles squad may bump Dallas out of the playoffs. Still, look for the Stars to be in the playoff race until the season's final week.
12. St. Louis Blues -- Andy Murray did a remarkable job with this team after taking over in mid-season, but the Blues seem to be a team in transition. They are too old to be rebuilding, yet too inexperienced at key positions to be a veteran squad. Still, in a weakened Central Division, they will find their share of wins.
13. Chicago Blackhawks -- Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane represent the future of Chicago hockey, and the future is very bright. The Hawks are where Pittsburgh was two years ago and Los Angeles was last year -- on the verge of something great. If Nikolai Khabibulin finds the form he displayed in 2003-04 with Tampa Bay, Chicago will be in the heart of the playoff race. Anything less, however, and the playoffs are still a year away.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets -- You really want to believe Columbus will break through one of these years. Rick Nash is a true goal scorer, Gilbert Brule has the potential to electrify, and Pascal Leclaire has a lot of potential in goal. Yet there are too many underachievers on this squad for the Jackets to be a solid playoff contender. It is a shame, as Columbus fans are some of the most underrated in the NHL.
15. Phoenix Coyotes -- Virtually everyone in hockey wants to see this team succeed. Not only is Wayne Gretzky the greatest player in the history of the game, he is one of the greatest people in the history of the game. Past Shane Doan, however, the cupboard is bare. When your second leading returning scorer is Mike Zigomanis -- who is a solid NHL player but certainly not a sniper -- that is a bad sign.
With the schedule so unbalanced, it only seems fair to rank the teams in the order they would finish if each team played the same schedule. The differences are significant in many cases-- the actual prediction is listed after each team's name.
If Todd Bertuzzi signed in Anaheim thinking a low pressure, quiet, hockey outpost would be a comfortable situation to get his career back on track, he may be sadly mistaken.
Thursday morning, the Ducks chose not to match Edmonton's five-year, $21.5 million offer sheet for Dustin Penner, the man many consider to be the next Bertuzzi.
Even Ducks general manager Brian Burke, in between comments that his (former?) friend Kevin Lowe was "stupid" -- apparently "gutless" and "classless" were not enough -- admitted Bertuzzi's signing put the Ducks in a tough position when it comes to resigning Penner.
Bertuzzi signed for $8 million over two years -- just $125,000 less per season than Penner's offer sheet.
Last season, Bertuzzi played 15 games, scoring two goals and adding 8 assists for 11 points.
Penner played all 82 games, scoring 29 goals and adding 16 assists for 45 points.
Yet all along, it was clear Burke would sign Bertuzzi. After the 2005-06 season, Burke hinted to season ticket holders at the select-a-seat he would go after Bertuzzi when he was an unrestricted free agent. Although he said he could not say much because of tampering, his intentions were clear.
Bertuzzi had five solid seasons for Burke in Vancouver, including a career high 97 points in 2002-03, but his career has been derailed by injuries since the lockout. Most troubling, the biggest problem has been his back, an injury that often fails to heal completely.
For $1 million plus incentives, Bertuzzi would be a good signing. For $4 million per season -- nearly as much as Teemu Selanne made the past two seasons combined while scoring 98 goals -- the contract made no sense at the time.
And now, the man who seemed ready to take Bertuzzi's torch as one of the game's better finesse power forwards -- if there is such a thing -- was essentially let go because of Bertuzzi's signing.
Oh sure, many will say there is no correlation. But look at the numbers -- Bertuzzi is locked up for two years. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are restricted free agents after next season, and after watching their linemate get a huge payday, do not count on either of them signing before July 1.
If Burke matched the Penner offer sheet, he could be put in the position of losing one, or both, of the other two young stars if an offer sheet came their way next summer. After all, Bertuzzi's money -- as well as the money of 38-year-old defenseman Mathieu Schneider (two years, $11.25 million) -- will still be on the books at the time.
Most of Anaheim's contracts last beyond the end of this coming season, so Burke had little option but to let Penner walk.
After the Bertuzzi signing, that is.
Nobody wishes ill will on Bertuzzi, and most Ducks fans are hoping he finds his form of the early part of the decade. Yet by the same token, Burke has lost several of the blue chip prospects he inherited when he took the reins two years ago.
Joffrey Lupul -- gone in the Chris Pronger trade. This one made sense, as the chance to get Pronger was irresistible.
Shane O'Brien -- traded for a mid-to-late first round draft pick.
Penner -- lost to an offer sheet.
Many are saying Penner will be under intense pressure in Edmonton, and they point to Lupul as an example. After a 28 goal campaign in Anaheim, Lupul scored just 16 goals and tallied 28 points with the Oilers last season.
Lupul was sent to Philadelphia for Joni Pitkanen, and many feel Penner could follow suit by failing to live up to expectations. However, there is no relevant comparison.
Lupul is an Edmonton boy, and his grandfather is even a minority owner of the Oilers. The pressure of playing in your hometown can be overwhelming anywhere, but in Edmonton, the pressure is ratcheted up a few notches.
Edmonton is a hockey town with incredible tradition. Players will be recognized everywhere they go, and playing there is like playing in a fish bowl. To be honest, it is an incredible environment and is one of the best places to play in the NHL.
Sure, the weather gets a little chilly and there is a lot of travel involved, but it is an intense hockey environment.
But for Lupul, the environment may have been a little too intense. In addition to being a highly touted local, Lupul was viewed as the key cog the Oilers received for Pronger. A pressure packed situation for anyone, never mind a 23-year-old hometown boy.
Penner hails from Winkler, Manitoba, a prairie town best known for cold weather and a strong Mennonite community. He is used to the weather and the culture of the area, but he does not have the hometown pressure -- not to mention, he is completely separate from the Pronger deal.
It is hard not to be happy for Penner. A young player who could not even make his local junior team, he went to a small junior college in Bottineau, North Dakota, and then played a year at the University of Maine before being signed to an entry level contract by Anaheim.
Now, he is incredibly wealthy, a young emerging superstar, and is on top of the world.
North America loves success stories and self-made people. Penner fits the bill as well as anyone.
Regardless of what Burke says about Lowe's recent performance, the fact is, the Oilers always find a way to be competitive. Two bad months at the end of last season seem to have made people forget about the Western Conference Championship the previous year.
Not to mention years of impressive playoff berths while the Oilers struggled financially, in large part because of the then-weak Canadian dollar.
The Oilers are no longer a small-market team. Their revenues were reported to be seventh of the league's 30 teams last season, and the loonie is nearing par with the American greenback.
Everyone has seemingly written off the Oilers for next year, but never count out an Edmonton squad. It is a hockey town, and hockey towns produce consistently strong hockey teams.
It was not desperation on Edmonton's part that landed Penner in Oil Country. Rather, it is a commitment to win, and a commitment to win now.
And suddenly, those Anaheim-Edmonton tilts appear nearly as compelling as they appeared last year at this time.
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