Confirmed with Link: Tim Burke promoted to Assistant GM DWJR to Dir. of Scouting

[AgentCooper]

Kurz has a really good article on DWJr in the Athletic today. Everyone who has access ought to read it.

To summarize, Jr. has been groomed by Burke in particular for several years now to take on this job. He has a Master's in finance which influences his philosophy (i.e. how to get maximum return on your assets). The article credits Jr. for the overhaul and improvement in Euro scouting, as Jr. realized that signing Euros was, amongst other things, a way around the waiver wire. After he presented this idea to DW/Will/Burke/Hasso a few years ago, they boosted the Euro scouting budget and signed Donskoi, Sorensen, and Heed. He's also worked to "modernize" the scouting and player evaluation department by placing a lot more emphasis on analytics.

Basic premise: yeah, he's Wilson's son, but he's well-trained and highly qualified.

 

[Used As A Shield]

Kurz has a really good article on DWJr in the Athletic today. Everyone who has access ought to read it.

To summarize, Jr. has been groomed by Burke in particular for several years now to take on this job. He has a Master's in finance which influences his philosophy (i.e. how to get maximum return on your assets). The article credits Jr. for the overhaul and improvement in Euro scouting, as Jr. realized that signing Euros was, amongst other things, a way around the waiver wire. After he presented this idea to DW/Will/Burke/Hasso a few years ago, they boosted the Euro scouting budget and signed Donskoi, Sorensen, and Heed. He's also worked to "modernize" the scouting and player evaluation department by placing a lot more emphasis on analytics.

Basic premise: yeah, he's Wilson's son, but he's well-trained and highly qualified.

The biggest issue is generally holding people accountable in regards to nepotism, but then again, holding people accountable in this day and age's hockey culture... Anyways, hope it work out, and its promising to know he was the one pushing for more euro signings.

 

[matt trick]

You can find middle 6 and bottom half d-men in Europe. You've got to draft/trade for top 3 D and first line guys. Beyond that, the Euro signings are very cheap, typically NHL ready, and give you a 1-3 year trial before deciding if they're worth significant investment in. Given our success in Europe, I'm heavily in favor of the transition to targeting elite upside guys like Merkeley, even if they are likely to bust much more frequently.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Ryan Merkley is significantly less likely to bust than a guy like Mirco Mueller was. I would totally buy into the logic of picking high upside players like Merkley, even if they are much more likely to bust, it I thought they were much more likely to bust. But there is nothing about Ryan Merkley that tells me he is more likely to bust than a player like Mirco Mueller.