Hockey Trade Rumors

I’m a diehard Avs fan and I’ve always despised the Canucks and still do. I hate that team and everyone on it. Hating the Canucks also meant hating Brian Burke while he ran the place. I hated Brian Burke so much that I bashed him on this forum on several occasions.

I am here to eat crow.

I submit that Brian Burke is by far the best GM in hockey. Don’t get me wrong, I hate the Ducks and their defensive style of hockey…especially after they butchered us in the playoffs, but Brian Burke is a genius at building a team. He did amazing things in Vancouver, but didn’t get to finish the job. Now, he’s doing amazing things in Anaheim. Every move he has made thus far is so saavy that it feels like he’s putting on a clinic for other GM’s to follow. Trading Fedorov last year…taking a chance on a rookie goalie over a conn smyth guy, getting Neidermayer, and now Pronger? Wow. I’m impressed. That team will the cup this year. They are just so solid now.

Now…juxtiposed to the Ducks….you have the bumbling Avalanche. Only a few years ago, they were a vaunted team no one wanted to play. Now? They are a mess. Three short years ago, I wouldn’t have traded Pierre Lacroix for any GM. But then he started making awful trades….Drury to Calgary, Keith Ballard for Chris Gratton, and the latest….Tanguay for Leopold. Now I realize that Giguere is supposedly the GM, but the latest bumbling of the cap has Pierre’s inept fingers all over it. Make no mistake, he’s still running the ship. First off, I can’t believe they didn’t know the bonuses would count against the cap this year until only a month ago. Second, if you’re going to let Blake and Hinote go, two of the most popular Avs, why would you trade Tanguay for Leopold and some picks if you could have traded him for Pronger and some picks? That’s what Anaheim did. Everyone knows that Tanguay is a better player than Lupol!

I would love to have Burke as a GM over Lacroix or Giguere. They have the Avs the most ill-equipped team at handing the new CBA. It’s a disgrace and these last two off seasons will forever be a black mark in club history. I’m ashamed of my team and I’m sure I’m not the only one.