Can you please explain to me the deal between Lowe and Burke?

Question

I am sick of not understanding the Brian Burke vs. Kevin Lowe dispute. Being on the east coast, I guess I missed when this became a news story. This is what I think I understand…after the Ducks Stanley Cup win, Lowe talked to players verbally about having them become Oilers? Then something to do with the Dustin Penner signing, the Salary Cap, or 3.5 million increase in pay? How can one player affect the entire league?

I am sick of being in the dark about this. I honestly have googled this and tried to find a great well-written article, but as many of you know, there are not many good NHL writers. So….

...Please tell me in your own words…why is there always media fighting between Burke and Lowe?

Answer 1

These 2 guys are constantly contradicting everything they say, and now they are going back and forth at each other sounding like a couple of 12 year olds arguing over who's dad has a better job. We lost a year of hockey so the Oilers could then trade away their captain Ryan Smyth, as well as jettison Chris Pronger (not a money issue specifically, but it shows that big market is not the reason people don't play in EDM), only to see the Oilers hand out those ridiculous offer sheets last year. The more this league goes on the more the one year of hockey we lost seems totally pointless.

Personally I think Burke and Lowe both qualify as stupid pricks. They both p**s and moan all the time and Burke blaming anyone about rising salaries should look in the mirror. Paying Schneider 5.625M and Bert 4M was obscene. Together they were not worth 5.625M.  Tampa is following with the overpay of a few free agents this off-season.

I might have my homer glasses on but their has been one GM in this league who seems to have this situation figured out and that is Holland. Get a good core, have great scouting, draft well, pick a style and build around it.

Answer 2

Burke's right..............Lowe created a new bar for 50 point scorers when he signed Penner to a $4MM/yr offer sheet.  

This year, Tampa set that bar twice as high when they signed that malcontent name Malone (career high 51 points) to an exhorbitant contract (Malone couldn't even average a point/game in Italy).

So............................those are my own words!

Answer 3

^^^ the above statement is true.

and....not to mention these two are just like 2 boys on the playground messing w/each other. The immaturiity of the whole thing is staggering.

Answer 4

Its just a bunch of media hubbub caused by Lowe violating an unwritten rule of dragging away Penner from the Ducks who had little cap space.  It isn't Lowe's fault the Ducks had such a high payroll they would have had to reduce Penner's contract in order for it to fit in the cap.  The Oilers saw a chance to drag a young star away from his team with a contract that was probably above his value at that time, but they were banking on his future.

If the Ducks cared enough they would have tried to free up cap space instead of letting him go.  If Penner cared about playing with the Ducks he would have stuck in town instead of going to the money.

Players sticking in a town where they typically make less than they would make as a UFA helps to keep the salary cap in check.  Teams offering wildly outlandish amounts of money to draw in some star power off the free agent market creates salary inflation throughout the league.  Weren't there reports that the Canucks offered Sundin about $20 million to play for one year?  That would create a lot of salary inflation with big name UFAs and RFAs next year.

Answer 5

Hi

The best way to do this is by roll playing...

Since I'm way up north I will be Lowe, and since you are in a hot place you can be Burke...

Dang I just gave best answer to Haley and these thumbs up i got in return sure aren't doing much.  Wait she thinks she cant get BA on this question. I will answer better then she can and she is away partying for weekend so cant counter me.  

Monday Haley gets to work and sees I have got the best answer over her, but I never emailed her to tell her, She had to see from where it was posted on Y/A. She then emails everyone saying I'm an A hole for what I did. That I am the reason answers is not fun any more. Over next couple months she continues to talk about me in her questions and answers.  Finally I have had enough and say  Haley you suck, you a girl and can know nothing about hockey, get over things that happen in the past. Its the Bob and Lity's of answers that force us to give better answers its not my fault. Oh and those dumb coffee questions, well don't get me started on them.

Hope that helped

Thank You

Answer 6

Lowe signed the Ducks Penner to a HUGE offer sheet. the Ducks obviously couldnt match. Burke was peeved and claimed Lowe is the reason for all the salaries to go up, and Lowe countered by saying Burke just likes to hear himself talk

Answer 7

Here you go Haley

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/rumors/post/...