Bryan Burke: 'I would not draft Kessel first overall'

[Le Golie]

Very interesting. He is saying that the scouts at the WJHC are talking a lot about how much of an individual Kessel is and that Toews or Johnson project to be better pros. He says if the draft was tomorrow he'd be looking hard at Toews and Johnson, and not taking Kessel.

He did say that Kessel is still a tremendous skill player, and wasn't taking a shot at him - just likes Johnson and Toews more. He said all this on the TSN pregame show prior to the Sweden vs. Finland game.

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[Misos Milakos*]

I agree with him.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

You have to remember this is the guy that picked Bobby Ryan 2nd.

 

[Anthony Mauro]

Damn, its about time Kessel gets press about NOT being 1st overall.

So, I stick by my rankings in the other thread.

1/ Erik Johnson
2/ Phil Kessel
3/ Jonathon Toews
4/ Jordan Staal
5A/ Peter Mueller
5B/ Nicklas Backstrom

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

i agree Kessel doesnt pass, but is an incredible package, kinda reminds me of Ilya Kovalchuk

 

[Meat Wave]

You have to remember this is the guy that picked Bobby Ryan 2nd.

Let's wait another 3-4 years before calling this a good or a dumb move. It's been 6 months since the draft, and nothing seems to indicate that Ryan was a bad selection... don't know where you get that from. Taking a chance on a guy who has the potential to become a premier powerforward in the NHL is not a dumb selection IMO.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Let's wait another 3-4 years before calling this a good or a dumb move. It's been 6 months since the draft, and nothing seems to indicate that Ryan was a bad selection... don't know where you get that from. Taking a chance on a guy who has the potential to become a premier powerforward in the NHL is not a dumb selection IMO.

Sure, but Jack Johnson who went 3rd would have been a much better pick for the Ducks.

 

[KH1]

Brian Burke: Drafted Bobby Ryan ahead of Jack Johnson, Gilbert Brule and other far superior prospects.

Brian Burke: Traded Sergei Federov for Tyler Wright and Francis Beauchemin

Brian Burke: Would rather have Toews or Johnson than Kessel

Does anybody else see a pattern here? Right, and Mike Milbury's the stupid one

 

[Misos Milakos*]

Let's wait another 3-4 years before calling this a good or a dumb move. It's been 6 months since the draft, and nothing seems to indicate that Ryan was a bad selection... don't know where you get that from. Taking a chance on a guy who has the potential to become a premier powerforward in the NHL is not a dumb selection IMO.

Also keeping in mind that Burke mentioned that there are scouts around the WJC who feel the same way as he does, so it's not just Burke here.

 

[ranold26]

I have to agree with Burke, in fact, as of today, I'd draft Erik Johnson 1st overall if the draft was today.
Johnson, Toews, Kessel in my eyes.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Brian Burke: Drafted Bobby Ryan ahead of Jack Johnson, Gilbert Brule and other far superior prospects.

Brian Burke: Traded Sergei Federov for Tyler Wright and Francis Beauchemin

Brian Burke: Would rather have Toews or Johnson than Kessel

Does anybody else see a pattern here? Right, and Mike Milbury's the stupid one

Firstly, I would hardly call Johnson far superior to Ryan, and Ryan was a top five prospect in the draft at least, IMO.

Secondly, compare the stats/play of Wright and Beauchemin with Anaheim vs. Federov's stats/play with Columbus. Take salaries into consideration

The two boneheaded moves he made was trading Rucchin and Popovic, but those are not really significant.

 

[Wally112pac]

Burke pretty much said it was a toss up for 1st overall.

 

[Le Golie]

I have to agree with Burke, in fact, as of today, I'd draft Erik Johnson 1st overall if the draft was today.
Johnson, Toews, Kessel in my eyes.

That's the way I am beginning to lean too. After seeing Johnson, I would definitely look at him long and hard with a number one pick. Kessel is still very, very hard to pass on - but Toews is a really fine player himself. I'd be torn between Kessel and Toews for 2nd overall. Thank God the draft is months away and there is a ton of time for either of them to jump out as the true top prospect in the draft class.

 

[Le Golie]

Burke pretty much said it was a toss up for 1st overall.

Yes he did. But after talking about it for a minute he said - and I quote 'I would not draft Kessel first overall.' He never said that nobody would take him first overall, just that he wouldn't. Which is what we are talking about.

 

[Kevin Forbes]

A big thing with this is organizational depth and need. Anaheim is loaded up front already with Ryan, Getzlaf and Perry. Dustin Penner and Ryan Shannon have shown quite a bit in the AHL so far and Kunitz is looking solid in the NHL. If Anaheim got the number one pick, I wouldn't be surprised to see them pick a guy like Johnson to add to the blueline, even though it's not that bad with Smid and Mikkelson as well as some solid depth behind them.
Burke also seems to put a lot of weight into interviews. He mentioned it constantly after picking Ryan. The stigma about Kessel being an individualistic player with perhaps a chip on his shoulder might be affecting Burke and keep in mind he probably has a bit more inside knowledge on Kessel then we would.

 

[Lowetide]

I'm not questioning his sincerity, but a GM who tells anyone outside his organization exactly what's he is thinking is an idiot. We don't really know what Burke would do imo, just that he continues to be hockey's best soundbite.

 

[nomorekids]

Kessel has gone from severely overrated to terribly underrated in the span of one week. Gotta love the WJCs. He's a kid and is extremely raw\weak right now. Give him time. Immaturity and strength are things that can be added. A skillset and shot like his...aren't.

 

[Debrincat93]

look whos saying this... the same guy who ive seen rumors on saying "we will not trade fedorov"... boom gone... if i was kessel, i wouldnt want to be a duck either if i had a GM like that...

 

[Transported Upstater]

First of all, as Lowetide mentioned, take this type of statement from any GM with a grain of salt.

Second of all, Burke has his own opinions about players, and if this is what he truly thinks, more power to him. He has his own voice, and has never been shy about using it. He's got a right to say what he feels, whether it is a smokescreen or not.

 

[McDonald19]

You have to remember this is the guy that picked Bobby Ryan 2nd.

again Burke was hired right before the draft, he did not pick Ryan, his scouts picked Ryan, Burke simply walked up on stage and called the name.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Brian Burke: Drafted Bobby Ryan ahead of Jack Johnson, Gilbert Brule and other far superior prospects.

Brian Burke: Traded Sergei Federov for Tyler Wright and Francis Beauchemin

Brian Burke: Would rather have Toews or Johnson than Kessel

Does anybody else see a pattern here? Right, and Mike Milbury's the stupid one

Johnson and Brule are not far superior to Ryan. They might be better, but not superior. As it is, Ryan is tearing up the OHL, so that pick actually looks pretty good. Ryan could easily end up being better than both.

As for the Fedorov trade, check the stats. Tyler Wright might not have more points as a Duck than Fedorov does as a Blue Jacket, but the other two do, and Beauchemin is a defenseman(I'm considering Marchant as part of the trade, as he would've been if not for McLean not informing him where he was going). All three also have more goals each than Fedorov does. And then when you consider those three combined make $2 million less than Fedorov does, and I'd say Burkie ripped McLean off big time.

As for Toews and Johnson over Kessell, I disagree, but others don't. I could easily see one of those two go over him, as could many others.

 

[Transported Upstater]

again Burke was hired right before the draft, he did not pick Ryan, his scouts picked Ryan, Burke simply walked up on stage and called the name.

He even said that at the draft, so I don't know why people are sticking to it. He said he trusts his scouting staff, and liked the impression he got of Ryan in an interview, so he chose the Anaheim scouts' pick.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

look whos saying this... the same guy who ive seen rumors on saying "we will not trade fedorov"... boom gone... if i was kessel, i wouldnt want to be a duck either if i had a GM like that...

He said "we aren't shopping Fedorov" not "we won't trade Fedorov". It doesn't sound like he was shopping Fedorov, either. He just took what McLean offered for him.

 

[Daily Special]

That's the way I am beginning to lean too. After seeing Johnson, I would definitely look at him long and hard with a number one pick. Kessel is still very, very hard to pass on - but Toews is a really fine player himself. I'd be torn between Kessel and Toews for 2nd overall. Thank God the draft is months away and there is a ton of time for either of them to jump out as the true top prospect in the draft class.

I was hoping ot get a glimpse of Toews during the WJC, to see what he was all about. Unfortunately I've yet to see much of anything from him, instead it's been all Kessel and Malkin.

-

 

[Russian_fanatic]

So I take it Kessell isn't a Burke type of player?