I think Burke is exactly right.  Had Lowe not inflated salaries by ensuring that a young player of Penner’s caliber get paid over $4 million and Vanek over $7 million, teams like Anaheim and Philadelphia would not be forced to pay such young players, whom they developed, like Corey Perry and Jeff Carter respectively, $5 million+ dollars.  RFAs used to be an easy sign, not worrying about over-priced offer sheets and just signing right back on for a mild raise with the team that brought them into the league.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 07/03/08 at 11:21 AM ET

I meant to add that that second contract was usually for only a few years, then the player would cash in on the third.  The original team sure got to enjoy the benefits of drafting and developing for a longer period of time.  It’s a shame when, due to salaries, teams have so much trouble keeping entire teams together for long enough periods of time to really mold like the dynasties of the past.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 07/03/08 at 11:22 AM ET

If it wasn’t Lowe, it would have been someone else.  It’s a tough business, and chummy collusion and gentlemen’s agreements weren’t going to keep player contracts low forever.

At some point some young player (if not RFA, then a young UFA) was going to get a large, long contract, and that would start the whole thing.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/03/08 at 11:27 AM ET

Burke is a slightly-above-average GM that is incredibly overrated. He likes to hear himself talk and hear himself bash his peers. Congrats to him for that wonderful character flaw.

Kevn Lowe is simply a crappy GM for the offer sheets that the threw around. I don’t care if Dustin Penner scores 40 goals this year, it was still a bad deal.

Both guys are crummy at what they do, and their just taking their frustrations out on each other.

Posted by Nathan on 07/03/08 at 12:02 PM ET

As Mike Brophy of the Hockey News said on Fan590 this morning about this topic, he basically stated, “getting a little tired of the Burke talk.” I agree!

To each his own, I guess.  I’m kind of sick of people bashing Burke for making what I consider to be frank comments about escalating salaries.

I for one do not mind a GM talking about the evolving business of hockey, and it’s probably something I’ll miss once Burke finds his new home.

Both guys are crummy at what they do, and their just taking their frustrations out on each other.

I think both guys have had pretty good offseasons so far, but I guess if you hate the guys, that’s good enough for blanket statements.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 07/03/08 at 01:14 PM ET

Burke is right.  If Kevin Lowe hadn’t given Dustin Penner $4.25M off his first contract in 2007, there’s no way Columbus would’ve signed Rick Nash for $5.25M off his first contract in 2005.

Wait, what?

Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary, AB on 07/03/08 at 03:20 PM ET

Do you not see that Rick Nash’s performance warrants a larger gap between he and Dustin Penner?  Had Nash signed his contract after Kevin Lowe’s doings, he would warrant at least 7 million.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 07/03/08 at 03:49 PM ET

The point is, Burke is complaining about having to pay out right away, on the second contract, instead of being able to pay sub-market value until the player reached or neared UFA age.  This was going to happen, regardless, and had started to happen already, so I don’t see how Kevin Lowe is specifically The Guy to blame, here.

Furthermore, does anyone else find it ironic that Burke continues to piss and moan about that offer sheet a year later, when in that time, he’s actually done more to “run his team into a sewer” than Lowe has?

Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary, AB on 07/03/08 at 05:28 PM ET

This was going to happen, regardless, and had started to happen already, so I don’t see how Kevin Lowe is specifically The Guy to blame, here.

Yeah, but it still was significant that Lowe did take a lot of the “taboo” out of offer sheets.  While certainly Lowe doesn’t deserve all the blame, his actions did have an impact on salary structure.

Furthermore, does anyone else find it ironic that Burke continues to piss and moan about that offer sheet a year later, when in that time, he’s actually done more to “run his team into a sewer” than Lowe has?

I don’t think Burke’s run his team into the sewer at all.  He gave Niedermayer and Selanne leeway to not retire (their retirements would have put the Ducks in more trouble than they are now), and even with that distraction, Anaheim finished with the 4th-most standings points in the league.  Ultimately they were done in more by Pronger’s suspension and Perry’s injury than anything; whether you want to blame Burke for that is up to you.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 07/03/08 at 05:47 PM ET