Burke On Kovalchuk: Not Interested

Leaf President and GM Brian Burke made his intentions known today on local Toronto radio, stating that he will not be pursuing soon-to-be UFA Atlanta Thrashers superstar Ilya Kovalchuk.

According to Burke, the economics just don’t work. Word is the enigmatic Russian sniper has balked at 8.5 million times ten years, to stay with the Thrashers. If Kovalchuk gets a bigger offer, it won’t be coming from Burke.
“I’m not interested in committing that amount of money, for that term, for a player….I’m not making that phone call…”

Burke explained that he would have to be looking at a Crosby-type player to consider extending his resources beyond 5 million, or 5 years. Clearly, Ilya doesn’t fit the bill in Burke’s opinion.

There you have it, folks. Kovalchuk to Toronto looks pretty much busted. Nothing to do with anything more or less than economics…so if he isn’t spending his approximately 20 million in cap to acquire Kovalchuk, where is he going to spend it? It’s not like the UFA pool is going to be all that deep come July 1.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what direction he chooses to pursue in the coming weeks. I will put my money on Burke conducting business as a seller, and will attempt to compile picks or prospects in exchange for the services of some of his outgoing UFA-status players like Poni, Stajan, Stempniak, Exelby, etc. Such resources may be packaged along with a player or two in the off season for an impact player in need of a new opportunity.That could mean a free agent, or a roster player on the move due to economic restraints. Burke has said publicly that he will take on cap and dump an under-producing contract in the minors if he has to in order to make the team more competitive. Struggling cap-sucking players like Blake and Finger may find themselves riding out their term in the back of the farm-team bus if a good hockey deal finds its way to Burke’s desk.

I am glad to see common sense prevailing here in the midst of a tumultuous season in Toronto. A lesser man than Burke would be pulling the trigger on anything resembling a chance to redeem himself after possibly gift-wrapping a franchise player for Boston.

That is not to say he won’t execute a deal for the likes of Kaberle if the return warrants it. But there will be no panic moves, and no over-spending on a ‘superstar’ like Kovalchuk.