News Article: Brian Burke, Mike O’Connell feud over claims about Joe Thornton trade talks

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

Obligatory “obviously a shit trade but....”

Kobasew, Sturm and Ference were some of my favorite players during that time. Sturm in the winter classic is one of my favorite memories. They all played a big role in transitioning that post lockout roster into a contender.

ference flipping off the Mtl crowd and fighting Avery are a few of my favorites from him. One of my all time favorite “leadership” guys we’ve had. I was shocked to find out a few of the guys in the Edmonton locker room didn’t like him but I attribute that to them being so young.

the Joe trade was just like the Nomar trade for me. Just didn’t see it coming at all.

tough for me to say I’d go back and change anything because I am a big believer that every little piece plays a big role in the way things play out. I do wonder if we would have won in 11, or maybe even sooner had we kept Joe and not signed Savard, then I wonder if Z would have even signed, and think about how how insane Savard was and how many great memories he left us. Would Bergy have blossomed into such a great leader?

I’m fine with how it worked out. The cherry on top would have been grabbing Joe and winning the cup this year to kind of close the book on it.

little rant but I’m a sucker for some Jumbo talk.

regarding Burke, great sound bite guy but remember he is a lawyer. Guy will say anything to make himself look good and I actually am a fan of his

 

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

I always feared that if Pastrnak scored more than 20 goals when Chiarelli was GM he would have sent him to the Western Conference for another Rich Peverley type.

This is a funny take because at this time every Bruins fan was dragging Wheeler for not showing enough and not being overly physical.

the chia is a bad GM takes are played out, stupid, and quite frankly - dead wrong. Almost as stupid and wrong as the “Julien is a bad coach” takes.

 

[ODAAT]

Would trust, literally, anyone's word over OC. He was terrible, terrible GM, a fraud, and front for JJ.

Brian Burke may be... Brian Burke. The same way Grapes was Grapes. I'd trust his word over many.

with you there

 

[PB37]

Sturm gave us the " this building is vibrating " moment from Jack, which i will never forget. To this day, it's my favorite all-time call by any play by play guy.

 

[Greek_physique]

Can't really fault Keenan for wanting Jumbo Joe...IMO, when he was our coach that was the best version of Thornton I ever saw...he was a complete player.

 

[duffy]

with you there

I agree with you guys 100%! The thing is if O'Connel had a better deal with Burkie or only talked to 1 team about a trade, then it was handled with extreme incompetence!

 

[GordonHowe]

I agree with you guys 100%! The thing is if O'Connel had a better deal with Burkie or only talked to 1 team about a trade, then it was handled with extreme incompetence!

Something one would expect -- always -- from OC and latter day Sinden. I hated them both and am delighted they are gone.

 

[GordonHowe]

Obligatory “obviously a shit trade but....”

Kobasew, Sturm and Ference were some of my favorite players during that time. Sturm in the winter classic is one of my favorite memories. They all played a big role in transitioning that post lockout roster into a contender.

ference flipping off the Mtl crowd and fighting Avery are a few of my favorites from him. One of my all time favorite “leadership” guys we’ve had. I was shocked to find out a few of the guys in the Edmonton locker room didn’t like him but I attribute that to them being so young.

the Joe trade was just like the Nomar trade for me. Just didn’t see it coming at all.

tough for me to say I’d go back and change anything because I am a big believer that every little piece plays a big role in the way things play out. I do wonder if we would have won in 11, or maybe even sooner had we kept Joe and not signed Savard, then I wonder if Z would have even signed, and think about how how insane Savard was and how many great memories he left us. Would Bergy have blossomed into such a great leader?

I’m fine with how it worked out. The cherry on top would have been grabbing Joe and winning the cup this year to kind of close the book on it.

little rant but I’m a sucker for some Jumbo talk.

regarding Burke, great sound bite guy but remember he is a lawyer. Guy will say anything to make himself look good and I actually am a fan of his

It's just a feeling, but I don't believe the Bruins would have won a Cup with Joe Thornton. Probably a great guy, but (sorry), I don't think he possesses the leadership qualities necessary, especially in Boston.

If you're looking for those qualities, look no further than Z and Patrice.

And, I loved Andrew, too. One of my absolute favorite latter day B's. He played for his teammates. He understood what it meant, and means, to be a Boston Bruin.

Quite satisified with how things turned out.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Interesting. Doug Maclean, former GM of the Blue Jackets was doing an AMA on Reddit and I asked:

"Has there been any player you inquired about for a trade where the other GM felt so strongly about them that they wouldn't open a dialogue about trading them?"

He responded:

 

[HustleB]

Interesting. Doug Maclean, former GM of the Blue Jackets was doing an AMA on Reddit and I asked:

"Has there been any player you inquired about for a trade where the other GM felt so strongly about them that they wouldn't open a dialogue about trading them?"

He responded:

That is devastating. Could you imagine what he may have offered. Wish that were the next question.

Thanks for sharing that’s pretty cool. Even if it does suck.

 

[Trap Jesus]

That is devastating. Could you imagine what he may have offered. Wish that were the next question.

Thanks for sharing that’s pretty cool. Even if it does suck.

Yeah some interesting stuff on there. He said Detroit nearly traded Yzerman for Lafontaine (and that thankfully they didn't end up doing it).

 

[Blowfish]

Stuart was supposed to be a young 1st pairing guy for years


Shit happens

I'm one who didn't mind the Jumbo trade...loved Sturm and the trade ended up bridging a cup win.

Shit happens and we ended up with Ference - who gave us the famous finger shot to habitant fans!

The Boston Bruins traded defenceman Brad Stuart, forward Wayne Primeau and a conditional 2008 draft pick to the Flames on Saturday for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew.

 

[BruinDust]

Something one would expect -- always -- from OC and latter day Sinden. I hated them both and am delighted they are gone.

This is probably the best part of the deal for me that the failed Thornton deal and that 2005-06 bottoming out following the move resulted in this franchise finally turning the page on MOC/Sinden. Even without the cup win, we've enjoyed a tremendous run of great Bruins hockey since that season. Who knows what happens if that Thornton deal gave the team big enough push to get into the playoffs, probably saving their jobs (at least MOCs) and continuing the run of mediocrity that had been the previous decade in Boston.

 

[Over the volcano]

I'm one who didn't mind the Jumbo trade...loved Sturm and the trade ended up bridging a cup win.

Shit happens and we ended up with Ference - who gave us the famous finger shot to habitant fans!

The Boston Bruins traded defenceman Brad Stuart, forward Wayne Primeau and a conditional 2008 draft pick to the Flames on Saturday for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew.

Love extended trade links like that.

The greatest - that keeps on giving 35 years later...


Kuraly, and the pick that became Frederic came from the Sharks for

Martin Jones who came from the Kings for

Lucic who's draft spot in the second round of 2006 came from the Oilers as part of the deal for

Samsonov who was drafted with a pick that came from the Whalers as part of the package for

Glen Wesley who came to Boston with Neely when they sent Vancouver

Barry Pederson in 1986 ​

 

[Number8]

I'm one who didn't mind the Jumbo trade...loved Sturm and the trade ended up bridging a cup win.

Shit happens and we ended up with Ference - who gave us the famous finger shot to habitant fans!

The Boston Bruins traded defenceman Brad Stuart, forward Wayne Primeau and a conditional 2008 draft pick to the Flames on Saturday for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew.

That was not a "finger shot". It was an equipment malfunction. I heard AF himself explain it as such and I know for a fact that new gloves can have minds of their. I once had a pair that occasionally made extremely inappropriate up and down gestures at opposing players as if I was somehow greasing an imaginary pole in their direction. Strangely such embarrassing gestures would most often be accompanied by my making a dismissive face and experiencing temporary sudden onset Tourette Syndrome episodes. I was of course very embarrassed when this would happen but it was an unfortunate coincidence...... nothing more.

 

[GordonHowe]

This is probably the best part of the deal for me that the failed Thornton deal and that 2005-06 bottoming out following the move resulted in this franchise finally turning the page on MOC/Sinden. Even without the cup win, we've enjoyed a tremendous run of great Bruins hockey since that season. Who knows what happens if that Thornton deal gave the team big enough push to get into the playoffs, probably saving their jobs (at least MOCs) and continuing the run of mediocrity that had been the previous decade in Boston.

Agreed. It had to totally bottom out over a period of time -- and not just one season, when they finished dead last to draft Joe -- before Mr. Burns bothered to make a move.

Concessions were in peril,

 

[DKH]

Burke, O'Connell feud over Joe Thornton - ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports

I can’t copy paste the tweets but most interestingly Burke claims in 2005 the Ducks offered to protect 5 players on their roster, Bruins would have been allowed to take the 6th best player. In addition Bruins would have received another roster player, a prospect and a first round pick.

As a reminder we received Stuart, Sturm and Primeau.

O’Connell claims it’s fabricated. I wonder if any insiders have insight on this?

I never heard of that

I’ll take the Sharks trade 100 out of 100

we got the Sturm face and iconic game 6 in 2008 vs Montreal and would alter history and the phenomenal 2011 Cup 2 month ride which was the greatest ever

 

[DKH]

trade obviously sucked, but stuart got us ference, and without him, who knows what
happens in 2011.

2011 can’t possibly play out that way

As weird as it sounds that part of history as horrible as it seemed factored into June 15 2011

 

[Lobster57]

the thing that always bothered me about the Thornton deal is that he couldn't milk even like a 3rd rounder out of SJ.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Why wasn’t the 2006 blue line good?

I dislike Leetch historically for taking Norris trophies from Ray and B Stuart for tanking here but neither of them had bad careers lol one is a HOFer and the other played close to 20 seasons.

Gill would stay effective for another 5 years and Boynton is a fav of mine and was only 27.

I liked Dallman dunno how he only had 1 assist in 21 games not surprised he’s been the best player in the next best league.

I really like Andrew Alberts as a last of the Mohicans big guy 2011 aside and Mark Stuart was similar.

Thats 7 decent guys for you.


Tanabe and Sleghr meh.

 

[Stephen]

I feel like the facts don't add up on Burke's end. It sounds like he's making the point that he made a slightly more competitive offer than San Jose, but if there was even a remote chance of a Thornton auction in 2005-06, it feels like any GM at that time would have gladly parted with Perry or Getzlaf to make it happen and wouldn't have asked to protect 5 organizational assets to make it happen.

The trade was obviously brutal for O'Connell, but I think I can actually understand the thought process that went into it. Brad Stuart still had some high end potential at the time. Big defenseman who could skate like the wind and had franchise potential from the 1998 draft as the third overall pick. Hadn't quite gotten there yet but had shown promise. If Stuart had stayed on his developmental path the trade would have made a lot more sense.

 

[PB37]

Why wasn’t the 2006 blue line good?

I dislike Leetch historically for taking Norris trophies from Ray and B Stuart for tanking here but neither of them had bad careers lol one is a HOFer and the other played close to 20 seasons.

Gill would stay effective for another 5 years and Boynton is a fav of mine and was only 27.

I liked Dallman dunno how he only had 1 assist in 21 games not surprised he’s been the best player in the next best league.

I really like Andrew Alberts as a last of the Mohicans big guy 2011 aside and Mark Stuart was similar.

Thats 7 decent guys for you.


Tanabe and Sleghr meh.

Stuart was the best of the bunch.

Leetch was in his final season.

Boynton was hurt a lot that year, his play and confidence was slipping, and being involved in the core group accused for " inmates running the asylum " with Thornton and Raycroft didn't help.

Gill always seemed to play higher in rotation than he should have. He should have been a bottom pairing guy but instead they played him like a top 4.

Alberts was a jag.

The group needed a clear number one dman, and it wasn't there.

 

[DKH]

This is a funny take because at this time every Bruins fan was dragging Wheeler for not showing enough and not being overly physical.

the chia is a bad GM takes are played out, stupid, and quite frankly - dead wrong. Almost as stupid and wrong as the “Julien is a bad coach” takes.

Chiarelli was surrounded by 4 other past and future GMs. His greatest strength was using their input

he was the guy early on and he struggled, he was the guy in the end and he got fired

Even the Seguin original 2 trades that were supposed to go down no few would have complained- the third one was the problem

although if Reilly Smith the Vegas one was here it would be somewhat tolerable