News from December 1998

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Losses eating at frustrated Keenan

Burke said he won't hold Keenan "exclusively responsible" for the team's performance until the trade for Pavel Bure is made.

Asked if he thought Keenan's comments reflected frustration that he hasn't received any help via the trade front, Burke said: "I don't know if that's true, based on his comments, it appears he's frustrated with players not following directions, not with the players he has."

Interestingly, Burke's position seems to have shifted regarding making other deals outside the one for Bure.

Earlier this month, Burke said during the Canucks game in Anaheim on Dec. 9, that the Bure trade talks were in the 'proposal' stage and hoped a deal might be done over the next seven days in which the Canucks played only once.

"If we haven't done anything on a Buredeal by the end of that time, then we have to have a look at something smaller," he said at the time.

However, on Wednesday he said: "What I said was on the Bure deal I'm reluctant to make other trades now for, one reason, once we're healthy I like our team. Second, I'm reluctant to move an asset in a smaller deal that might go in this deal."

Regarding the much anticipated Bure deal, he said: "This is probably not going to end up being one player for two players or three players. It might be a little bit bigger.

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Keenan's desperate act

When Brian Burke was hired as the Canucks general manager, ostensibly over coach Mike Keenan, we all knew there would be fireworks.

Those explosions are now taking place. When a coach suggests his own firing may be at hand when in fact he has done a remarkable job, what you have is a public plea for help.

It is close to saying 'him or me.' Keenan has gone as far as he can with this roster. Unless things change dramatically in the next couple of weeks, there is nowhere to go with this group but down.

Keenan knows it and he doesn't want to see all the work he's put into this team just slide because the resources it has are not being used to the best advantage. Keenan wants to win now. This is reasonable. He is the coach. Burke clearly doesn't feel the same way. When he said he didn't care whether the team lost five in a row, he wasn't kidding. He doesn't seem to care what happens to the product. It appears he is willing to sacrifice the season to this macho, testosterone-induced act he has going to show his toughness.

He wants to show Pavel Bure, and by extension all players, how much in control of their lives he can be. It's as though he wants to rewrite the Collective Bargaining Agreement by himself. But of course, this has nothing to do with his job, which is to improve his team.

What we have now is a clash in philosophies. Keenan is pro-active. Burke is Pat Quinn. He will only act if he must. This is what Keenan is trying to bring about, a situation whereby the GM must do something other than check the waiver wire.

Burke is clearly aligned with Stephen Bellringer, the Orca Bay CEO who is into corporate slashing and cost-cutting. That's why Bure hasn't been moved. The team saves the $5 million US portion of his salary while claiming the offers for Bure are not good enough. In fact, they are not going to significantly improve. Burke agreed to work under these terms whereby Keenan would be kept and costs would be slashed.

Keenan's only recourse would be to go directly to John McCaw and plead his case, but according to most sources the Howard Hughes of NHL owners has essentially lost interest in his little sports project. To be sure McCaw's goal of winning the Stanley Cup has been kidnapped, or at least transformed, into some sort of nebulous long-term project.

Keenan's other significant ally, Mark Messier, seems to have decided not to use his influence, even though he is as anxious as anyone to get help.

He knows he can't do this 25-30 minutes a night routine any longer, and probably shouldn't have played those two games after Christmas with his concussion. He knows this team is about to lose the remarkable change in attitude over the past year unless help arrives pronto. But Messier, stung by criticism leveled by Gino Odjick and others last year that he was too influential in decision-making, seems resolved to just play.

With McCaw either indifferent or now in agreement with the slash-and- save approach, Keenan has little recourse other than try to create a situation whereby the Tough Guy has to actually do something.

Clearly, this isn't easy. He's been trying for months. Hinting at his own firing is the most drastic approach yet.

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Brian Burke asks for patience

"I've said it before," said Burke. "I do not hold him (Mike Keenan) exclusively accountable for this team's record. I have to shoulder some of the responsibility until I make the (Pavel) Bure trade. This will be a different team after we make that deal and after we get our injured players back.

"The key to the Bure trade is patience and patience isn't one of Mike's strong points."

Burke hasn't been able to make a Bure deal and, although he's joined in Winnipeg this week by most of his NHL peers, a swap is no closer.

"We're still talking," said Burke.

"There's more than five teams interested but can I tell you that we're closer, no I can't."

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Burke doesn't think Belarus deal for real

Speculation Pavel Bure could play hockey in Belarus next year is nothing but a "very transparent and feeble attempt" to pressure Vancouver into trading the disgruntled Russian Rocket, says Brian Burke, the Canucks' general manager.

"I don't give it any credence whatsoever," Burke snapped Tuesday.

But Burke is prepared to open a litigious can of worms by saying the Canucks would try to prevent the suspended winger from becoming a restricted free agent next year if no trade can be worked out with another NHL team.

"We have been advised by the league that's a position we would likely be successful in taking," Burke said.

"If it comes to that I will talk about that."

The Calgary Flames' Valeri Bure said his older brother - who refused to report to the Canucks after demanding a trade - has received a lucrative offer from Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko to play for one of that country's teams.

"The president of Belarus offered him the same money as he would make here to play in their league," Valeri said in Calgary on Monday.

Burke scoffed at the suggestion.

"My understanding is most of the teams in that country are having trouble paying their hydro bills let alone pay him," he said.

"I don't regard it as a realistic threat."

Depending on which source you believe, Bure is scheduled to make between $6 million and $8 million US this season.

Bure, a 50-goal scorer three times during his seven years in Vancouver, has never been specific about why he wants out of Vancouver. Burke has made it clear he won't trade the eccentric winger until the right deal is offered.

Burke has taken that a step further now, arguing since Bure, 27, hasn't fulfilled the obligations of the last year of his contract, he shouldn't be eligible to become a restricted free-agent next season.

The NHL's collective bargaining agreement says a player becomes a free agent "at the expiration of his player contract."

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Window closing on deal

About two months ago when Canucks coach Mike Keenan was allowed an opinion and the dealing of Pavel Bure was being discussed in a more relaxed atmosphere, the coach made some theoretical observations.

He said in his experience there existed a window of opportunity to make the best deal. The window was generally there earlier rather than later, which was why Keenan was always so proactive.

This was one reason why the coach was so keen to move Bure directly on the heels of a 51-goal season. Judging from Jim Jamieson's story on Bure's European option, Canucks GM Brian Burke is learning about windows. This one is narrowing to a peep hole.

Nobody knows whether a $4-million US tax-free offer from Belarus is being taken seriously by Bure. And there would no doubt be worries about enforcing the contract if the country decided to change its direction at some point. It's not like he could take this entity to court in the same way he could get a judgment against the Rangers if they defaulted on the terms. But this option has really made things more difficult for Burke and has thrown considerable power and leverage into Bure's hands.

The offer completely eliminates cities in which Bure does not want to play. For instance New Jersey is among the five teams Burke claims are in the hunt. Burke's friend, GM Lou Lamoriello, has said to check with him and give him a shot if he so desires before the deal is done. The Devils were unlikely to have done much, but now it's virtually inconceivable. Bure doesn't want to play there and if he won't sign a hard-and-fast contract with the Devils, they are hardly going to assume the risk Bure might jump to Europe next year. They'd be nuts.

Any team that would take Bure must have a deal in place long-term. Otherwise they simply assume the risk.

In theory Bure always had this power, but now it's total control of where he goes. This eliminates Washington. It probably eliminates Chicago and perhaps Toronto. If he wants to get sticky, it could even eliminate the Kings.

What team in its right mind is going to give Burke a package of the solid young players he seeks without having Bure totally committed to a four- or five-year deal for money both sides can live with. If Bure doesn't like a city he simply asks for $12 million a year. If he likes the destination, his money demands suddenly become more reasonable. A team is unlikely to take him on the theory that they could simply match any offer he might receive in the summer as a free agent. The CBA doesn't give you the right to match an offer from Belarus.

If you look at this in its most diabolical light, what if Bure has already decided he's had enough of the bellicose clowns who run teams in the NHL and wants to stay closer to home? The money is good and the schedule is much shorter. As a target over here, he's already had two serious injuries with the knee and the neck. Who needs that? The only downside is that he will not be competing in the best league in the world. If he can console himself with having this opportunity just once or twice every four years in the Olympics and World Cup, why on earth would he even want to play in North America?

The biggest "window" for this deal was when Bure first asked to be moved under the great waffling Pat Quinn.

The portal has been narrowing ever since.

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Vancouver GM dismisses chances of Bure playing in Belarus

Speculation Pavel Bure could play hockey in Belarus next year is nothing but a "very transparent and feeble attempt" to pressure Vancouver into trading the disgruntled Russian Rocket, says Brian Burke, the Canucks general manager.

"I don't give it any credence whatsoever," Burke snapped Tuesday.

But Burke is prepared to open a litigious can of worms by saying the Canucks would try to prevent the suspended winger from becoming a restricted free agent next year if no trade can be worked out with another NHL team.

"We have been advised by the league that's a position we would likely be successful in taking," Burke said.

"If it comes to that I will talk about that."

The Calgary Flames Valeri Bure said his older brother - who refused to report to the Canucks after demanding a trade - has received a lucrative offer from Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko to play for one of that country's teams.

"The president of Belarus offered him the same money as he would make here to play in their league," Valeri said in Calgary on Monday.

Burke scoffed at the suggestion.

"My understanding is most of the teams in that country are having trouble paying their hydro bills let alone pay him," he said.

"I don't regard it as a realistic threat."

Depending on which source you believe, Bure is scheduled to make between $6 million and $8 million US this season.

Bure, a 50-goal scorer three times during his seven years in Vancouver, has never been specific about why he wants out of Vancouver. Burke has made it clear he won't trade the eccentric winger until the right deal is offered.

Burke has taken that a step further now, arguing since Bure, 27, hasn't fulfilled the obligations of the last year of his contract, he shouldn't be eligible to become a restricted free-agent next season.

The NHL's collective bargaining agreement says a player becomes a free agent "at the expiration of his player contract."

One agent who represents several NHL players doubted the Canucks could win an arbitration case by arguing Bure owes them another year.

"Yes the team has lost his services but the player has lost his salary," the agent said.

"There's no reason to freeze the clock."

If the Canucks won the case it would send shock waves through all the major professional sports leagues.

"It would impact on team sports as we know it today in North America," the agent said.

Michael Gillis, Bure's agent, did not immediately return telephone calls.

Should Bure become a free agent, the Canucks could keep his rights simply by matching any offer made to him by another NHL team. If Vancouver chose not to match the offer, they would receive five first-round draft picks from the other team.

Burke said he would be content to let Bure play in Europe next year.

"I'm not making a bad trade in the interests of time," he said.

"If Pavel Bure wants to play in Belarus next year he can go play in Belarus."

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Belarus beckons Bure

CALGARY -- Valeri Bure says his older brother is tempted to play hockey in Europe next season.

Valeri said following the Calgary Flames' practice Monday that his brother Pavel -- currently suspended by the Canucks -- has been made a lucrative offer by the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to play for one of that country's club teams.

"The president of Belarus offered him the same money as he would make here to play in their league, for one of the teams," said Valeri, one of the Flames' core players when they host the Canucks here tonight (6p.m., CKNW).

"I don't know what Pavel's going to do, but that's what the president offered him and he said it on TV."

Bure's agent, Mike Gillis, couldn't be reached for comment but a source indicated the offer was in the neighborhood of $4 million US tax-free. Bure has been suspended without pay by the Canucks for refusing to play out the final year of his contract in an effort to force a trade.

Canucks general manager Brian Burke has tried to deal Bure since last summer, but the high price he is demanding for the Russian Rocket has been a stumbling block.

If Bure was to sign such a deal, the Canucks would be left with nothing to show for a franchise player. Burke was in Boston on Monday and couldn't be reached, but senior vice-president of operations Dave Nonis said that Bure signing a contract in Belarus for next season would not hinder the Canucks' efforts to move him.

"Even if he signed, we can still trade his rights to another team and as long as he's signed (to an NHL contract) by July 15 he can play over here," said Nonis from Vancouver.

Nonis said the agreement between the International Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL allows a player to walk away from a European contract to come to the NHL as long as it happens before July 15. (or Aug. 15, in the case of a player drafted that year).

"It wouldn't affect anything from our standpoint," said Nonis. "It might throw in a few kinks, but it wouldn't change our approach to a deal."

Meanwhile, assuming that Bure would have earned about $8 million US this season, he's already lost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.9 million. But Valeri, who speaks to his brother regularly on the phone, said Pavel is in good spirits.

"He's doing really well," said Valeri. "He's working out with (CKSA Moscow) twice a day. He skates and does the bike and weights. He just left for Switzerland for 10 days to have a break. He's been working really hard.

"From talking to him, he's in top shape."

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Burke leaves 'em laughing

The longer Brian Burke waits to move Pavel Bure, the more ludicrous his defence of his inactivity becomes.

The Canuck general manager's latest attempt to sell the Zigmund Palffy signing on Long Island as a positive development is one of the most laughable gyrations yet.

If the New York Islanders are telling the truth when they say they're keeping Palffy, it's bad news for the Canucks and the best indication yet that Burke has waited too long to get his best deal.

Through these talks, New York Rangers GM Neil Smith was taking a gamble that the Isles were full of camel dung when they were making noises about trading for Bure.

Smith's reasoning was that if they won't pay Palffy why would they pay Bure? Smith figured Burke was using the Isles to pressure the Ranger GM, causing him to worry about having Bure with a cross-town rival.

Now, Smith has held his cards and, assuming the Isles aren't lying, withstood the bluff. He knows there's one fewer player in the game, the one he feared most -- yes, even more than Philadelphia which probably has made its biggest and most threatening move in the Mikael Renberg acquisition.

The only possible way Burke's hand could have been aided was that it took the possibility away that the Isles would deal Palffy to Los Angeles, a move that would have skewered him. As it is the Kings have one less option, too.

But Burke has watched Philly and the Isles take themselves out of the market while he fiddles, unable to make a decision that would help his team. Putting a positive spin on this is like the Iraqis rejoicing at air strikes because they no longer have to put up with those pesky weapons inspectors.

Then there's Burke's position on Bure's contract in which he contends the Rocket will owe the Canucks another year because he failed to play out the final year of his deal. Burke should be reminded the last time he ventured into contract interpretations while working for the Canucks he had his duff punted all over Stockholm by Vancouver lawyers Randy Wittchen and Bill Faminoff in the Vladimir Krutov arbitration case. His legal advice cost the Canucks a cool $1.4 million by the time all the expenses were paid.

This interpretation of Bure's contract isn't only reaching, it's dangerous. If Bure isn't moved, it's possible he could turn his back on the NHL and play in Europe.

Before you ridicule this idea, the threat of which has been used with no success by some agents in negotiations, consider Bure has endangered $8 million US this year by taking the stance he has. If this isn't a demonstration he's not motivated by money what is?

He could have come back here, gone through the motions this season, collected his money and left as a free agent. But he couldn't work for this organization any longer, no matter the cost.

Bure has more money than he ever dreamed possible. Now he wants to be happy playing hockey. He would prefer working in the best league in the world. But if there's too much aggro, Burke would be taking one helluva gamble betting he wouldn't sign in Europe -- and sign long term. The likelihood is remote but with a superstar of Bure's magnitude and personality, who can be sure?

How does getting nothing for Bure sound.

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Palffy's out of loop

Canucks general manager Brian Burke lost a prime trade partner in the Pavel Bure sweepstakes Thursday when the New York Islanders re-signed free agent Zigmund Palffy to a five-year, $26-million US deal.

The Isles were one of the known suitors of Bure, largely due to their inability to come to terms with their right-winger.

The slick Slovak had made demands for $6.8 million a season, prompting the Isles to have a serious look at the suspended Bure, who's due to make about $8 million this season on the final year of his contract.

Palffy's deal also includes a sixth year at the team's option for $7 million. The total averages out to $5.5 million a season, a capitulation on Palffy's part and about half what Bure will likely make on his next contract.

Isles senior management said after the deal's announcement that they had signed Palffy to keep him and aren't looking to trade him.

Just how serious the Isles -- who asked for and received permission to speak to Bure's agent about six weeks ago -- were about the Russian Rocket is uncertain. But it leaves just the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings as serious bidders for Bure -- although interest seems lukewarm at best now.

Burke, who maintains there are more than five teams interested in Bure, tried to find a bright side to the Palffy signing.

"There are several players involved in this sweepstake, including Palffy and (Theoren) Fleury as well as Bure, so it doesn't bother me if one of them is out of it. It just crystallizes everyone else's options. The fact they've signed him and intend to keep him, that's not all bad. Up till now it's muddied the waters a little bit because of the number of guys out there."

Although there was talk of a deal sending Bure to the Isles for Palffy and another player, Burke said the Canucks wouldn't have kept him in any case.

"The only interest we had in Palffy was to flip him anyway," he said.

"If he's out of it, I'm not jumping off a bridge."

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PBFC web site listed as one of Internet's best !

Internet guide to 2500 best web sites, listed the Pavel Bure Fan Club as one of them !

This authoritative book is the Beginner's guide to the Internet. Best web 2500 sites is the topic of the book.
Web site address for the book is http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/stoc.asp?guid=bm504va0&vol=7&iss=1&type=4

Web site for the page the club is mentioned is http://www.smartcomputing.com/articles/archive/web6/266w/266w.asp

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Palffy signing could be a bonus for Canucks, Bure

The Vancouver Canucks' trade interest in Zigmund Palffy has been in the context of a three-way deal and his signing with the New York Islanders could actually help Vancouver's bid to deal holdout Pavel Bure, Canuck general manager Brian Burke said Thursday.

If the Islanders decide to trade Palffy, who re-signed Thursday for a deal reportedly worth $27 million US over five years, he won't end up in Vancouver.

"Frankly, our interest in Palffy was for a flip," Burke said before the Canucks' game Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. "Our thinking always was that he would not end up here. This could mean the Islanders are completely out of it [talks for Bure] or it could mean no change."

Burke said he spoke with Islander general manager Mike Milbury on Tuesday and was aware the club was close to re-signing Palffy, despite the player's insistence that he would never again play for New York.

The Islanders are believed to be one of the clubs interested in acquiring Bure, who has refused to report to the Canucks while awaiting a trade. Burke said he hoped to hear from Milbury Thursday night about his interest in Bure and whether Palffy is still available in a trade.

Burke insisted, however, that the market for Bure could improve even if the Islanders are content to keep Palffy.

"If it means the Islanders are out, that's not all bad from our perspective," Burke said. "Right now there are three or four guys [available] that people are trying to nail down, and if the Islanders say 'we've got him and we're going to keep him,' that clears the water for Pavel Bure and [Calgary Flame] Theoren Fleury."

"I think everybody's pleased that it's over," Islanders coach Mike Milbury said. "I wasn't sure that it would come to a conclusion, and this was it. This was the last attempt to bridge the gap. Basically what we did was go back to the long-term deal and revisited that to see if they were more interested. And, in fact, they were."

Speaking for the players, Islanders' captain Trevor Linden said:

"The guys in the room are excited and happy to have him back, and certainly the fans are going to be happy. He had 20 per cent of the offence last year, and it isn't just his goal-scoring. His playmaking ability is exceptional. So it adds another dimension [to a team that lost seven of eight coming into the Kings game Thursday night]."

Palffy, who was a restricted Group Two free agent, has been in Slovakia all season long waiting for a new contract. Milbury confirmed that he was en route to the United States.

"I'm very happy to come to a conclusion," Palffy said in a news release. "In my heart I always wanted to be a New York Islander. And I want to thank New York Islander fans. I cannot wait to get back on the ice and play in front of them."

The signing ended a long and bitter battle between Milbury and Palffy's agent, Paul Kraus. At one point, Milbury said of Kraus:

"It's too bad he lives in the city. He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot."

Of that situation, Milbury said Thursday night:

"I wasn't involved until the end, really. I mean, I was informed but I was not involved. I've always had a good relationship with Ziggy and this was not getting in the way of that."

The Islanders (11-18-0), are 3-7 in their past 10 games and have only 70 goals this season. Palffy tied for fifth in the NHL in scoring last season, when he had 45 goals and added 42 assists in 82 games.

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Bure lends a hand for Russian hockey

MOSCOW, RUSSIA. Pavel Bure seen presenting Byelorussian President Alexander Lukashenko with ice-hockey uniform. Alexander Lukashenko as a leader of the Byelorussian team took part in the ice-hockey unofficial match of veterans of Russian and Byelorussian combined teams in Sokolniki on Wednesday.

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After lengthy holdout, Palffy signs five-year deal with Isles

LOS ANGELES (TICKER) -- After months of squabbling back and forth, the New York Islanders and holdout right wing Zigmund Palffy agreed on a five-year contract today.

Financial terms were not disclosed, although ESPN is reporting that Palffy would earn upwards of $5 million a season, doubling the salary of teammate and captain Trevor Linden, the previous highest-paid player on the Islanders.

During his holdout, Palffy has been involved in several trade rumors, including a potential swap of holdouts with the Vancouver Canucks for disgruntled forward Pavel Bure.

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Burke unlikely to complete Canuck deals before cutoff

As the Vancouver Canucks head into a critical stretch of six games in 11 nights, they will do so with the bodies they have, not the bodies they would like.

Canuck general manager Brian Burke admitted Wednesday he isn't likely to pull off any player acquisitions before the Christmas roster freeze begins Saturday at midnight.

Between now and the end of the freeze on Dec. 27, Vancouver plays four games in its own division -- starting tonight with Colorado at GM Place -- while the other two are against Western Conference foes. The surging Avalanche are the only team in the group currently above .500.

"I would say almost certainly there will not be a trade of any sort prior to the Saturday deadline," Burke said.

Hence, suspended star Pavel Bure will enjoy Christmas in Moscow while waiver pick-up Harry York and recent call-ups Matt Cooke and Bert Robertsson will continue to enjoy NHL paycheques.

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Holidays could keep freeze on Bure deal

The annual freeze on NHL rosters begins at midnight Saturday and lasts eight days.

Most general managers will lie low until the new year now, although Vancouver Canucks boss Brian Burke would love to deal absentee right-winger Pavel Bure in the next 60 hours. Burke says more than five teams have expressed interest, although he won't divulge which ones.

"Some of them don't want to be identified in the event they cannot pull of a deal," Burke told the Vancouver Sun. "They don't want to be criticized by their media and fans."

The New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings are serious about getting the Russian Rocket, but Burke wants a lot. It has been reported that he has asked the Rangers for young goalie Dan Cloutier, rookie Manny Malhotra, and veteran Niklas Sundstrom for Bure.

Bure, suspended Toronto goaltender Felix Potvin, and restricted free agents Sandis Ozolinsh of the Colorado Avalanche, Ziggy Palffy of the New York Islanders and Donald Audette of the Buffalo Sabres are well-known players the league misses. Some can't bring themselves to accept less money than they've demanded, some wear price tags too high for other teams to consider, and some have employers who scare prospective trading partners away by asking for too much in return.

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Pavel on front cover BC Business

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Bure deal optimism unrealistic

Contrary to some reports in the electronic medium, Brian Burke isn't optimistic he can get Pavel Bure traded before the Christmas roster freeze, which begins at Saturday at midnight local time and ends on Dec. 27 at the same time'

"I don't see it getting done (by the dealine)," said the Canucks general manager Tuesday.

The biggest hurdle in terms of time is the fact a team trading for Bure would likely want agreement on a new deal with him before pulling the trigger - a process that presumably would take some time. But Burke also said that not all teams expressing interest so far have that on their wish list.

Meanwhile, Burke reiterated his contention that Bure would owe the Canucks a year of service next summer if not traded by then - even though his contract is up and the collective bargaining agreement suggests he would not owe the club another season.

"The league has told us they would support our position on this," said Burke. "But I don't expect it to come to that."

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Ego in the way

Vancouver GM to blame for continuing Bure mess

The general manager of the Vancouver Canucks has taken a "k" and planted it like a stake into the heart of the Pavel Bure matter. He has now made this less about the player and the team than about himself and his power.

It is now about Brian Burke.

Bure, with a "k" in the heart.

For weeks now, the neophyte GM has been crossing the continent like a carnival barker, desperately trying to promote interest in the recalcitrant "Russian Rocket," who is now in the third month of his still unexplained sit-out strike. There has been chest-puffing and posturing, all followed by promises to do the right thing for the Vancouver Canucks.

It is nonsense.

It is about consolidating power and wielding it. It is about punishing Bure and coach Mike Keenan, whose injury-pocked and stripped-down team has won two of its last 13 games, and is in such a desperate situation that journeyman Harry York is now skating on the Canucks' first line. It is about acting tough even while his team's attendance continues to sag badly.

Burke, who has never passed a bully pulpit he did not crave to mount, had been saying for weeks that he has at least five legitimate offers on the table for Bure. The truth is, he may have at one time had one or two offers, at most, with the legitimacy of these offers impossible to corroborate.

Whatever a team offers, whether it be the New York Rangers (Niklas Sundstrom, Dan Cloutier, plus a variety of alternatives excluding Manny Malhotra and Todd Harvey) or Los Angeles Kings (Olli Jokinen, Aki Berg, and alternatives), it is not enough. It is not enough, that is, to satisfy Burke, who flat out refuses to attach an attainable sticker price onto the merchandise that sits idling in his team's lot, doing nobody the slightest bit of good.

Bure is not doing the Canucks any good unless Burke's definition of what's good for the Canucks is Keenan twisting in the breeze. He's not doing the Rangers any good and he's not doing the Kings any good. He's not doing the NHL any good, a league whose administration would love to see Bure's marquee talent and personality lighting up Broadway, that's for sure.

Burke, in his first year as GM of the Canucks after gaining tenure as the NHL's nanny judge, wants to be Lou Lamoriello, his coach at Providence, his mentor thereafter. But when faced with situations similar to one that Burke now confronts, Lamoriello has acted quickly and decisively.

When Kirk Muller walked out on a contract, the Devils had him traded within 48 hours to Montreal, for Stephane Richer and Tom Chorske. When Claude Lemieux lost the grievance he filed to have his contract ruled null-and-void, the Devils had him traded within 72 hours in a three-way deal that brought Steve Thomas to the Meadowlands.

Lamoriello does his toughest talking in private; Burke does his to the newspapers. Lamoriello does what's best for his franchise; Burke does what's best for himself.

Now the latest is that within the last 48 hours, Burke has been saying that he needs the equivalent of five first-round draft choices for Bure, for that would be the compensation were he signed to a Group II offer sheet the Canucks did not match. But not only is Bure not a Group II, Burke is now saying that if the Russian Rocket sits out the year, he as GM will appeal to have the winger's contract extended a year, thereby keeping Bure away from Group II next summer.

He wants five first-rounders, all right, only he doesn't want Bure to attain the status even next summer that might bring the Canucks those five firsts, were there a team willing to give them up.

How hilarious.

The debate much of the year here has concerned what would be too much for the Rangers to yield for Bure. Now, even as alternatives slip away -- Theo Fleury won't sign a contract extension; Mark Recchi is not being made available in Montreal -- and even as it becomes more apparent that no matter how improved the Rangers are, they are still in for the fight of their lives to make the playoffs, the debate is moot.

Burke has made it impossible for anyone to acquire his most valuable asset.

The Canucks will miss the playoffs this year with the GM talking tough, holding any and all parties interested in Bure hostage. Attendance will continue to wane. Offers for Bure will cease and desist. Everyone will be in the same situation next year.

Not the coach, of course. Someone will have to pay. Keenan will be fired.

When Burke says he's doing what's in the best interests of the franchise, more and more people are coming to the conclusion that that is what he means.

This is no longer about a trade for Bure, not after three months of an open-air auction. This is now about a trade that Burke won't make.

This is about planting a stake in the shape of a "k" right in the heart of Bure.

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Trade weekend at Bure's?

Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke, who said a few days ago that he might let Pavel Bure sit out the season, now hopes to move him by the weekend.

Bure's agent, Mike Gillis, isn't doing any cartwheels.

"We've heard that deadline three times," he said.

But if it does happen, Bure can get into his new uniform quickly. He is in great shape because he is in Moscow working out with Red Army twice a day.

No contract, no trade

And his new contract shouldn't be a problem. New contract? Isn't Bure already under a very lucrative contract?

He is indeed. But that contract expires at the end of this season and no team would trade for Bure without first agreeing to terms on a long-term deal.

Burke is targeting two teams as possible trade partners -- the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. Both have the money to pay Bure and both could use him -- the Rangers because they want to build a winner; the Kings because they want to sell luxury boxes in their new arena which opens next season.

But so far, no matter what posturing Burke does publicly, no trade is close. If it were, Gillis would have been sounded out regarding a new contract, and as of yesterday that hadn't happened.

The existing contract calls for Bure to earn the average of the three highest-paid players in the league, but there's confusion about the way that figure is calculated -- yet another factor in the inevitability of a new deal.

If you read the clause one way, it seems to say that you would take the average of the top three players this year. If you read it another way, it seems to say that you take the average of the top three players over the duration of their contracts -- which brings into play other factors such as Sergei Fedorov's signing bonus or Steve Yzerman's marketing deal.

It's probably not a cause for concern because, as Gillis said, "A clause of that nature doesn't make sense any more. We're seeing how the market is starting to shape up in terms of the highest-paid players."

This is the latest function of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was signed after the 1994 lockout. Both sides now are familiar with its terms and players are falling into certain categories.

Superstars on long-term deals, such as Dominik Hasek and Jaromir Jagr, are in the $10-million US range. "Senior superstars" on limited-term deals, such as Doug Gilmour, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, are in the $6-million neighbourhood. Young superstars on short-term deals -- Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya -- are earning $8.5 million a year and waiting to decide where to go next.

So where does Bure, at 27, fit into all this? Gillis refuses to be specific. There are those who say he will settle for $7 million US a year, while others have suggested he wants a seven-year, $84-million contract.

It's all guesswork because only Gillis knows for sure and he isn't talking.

Term is important

But this much is clear; the number is a function of term. The NHL market has done a complete reversal in recent years.

About five years ago, teams paid a player more for a short-term deal than they would for a long-term deal. They didn't want to be stuck with a big salary if the player's talent diminished. But because of today's marketplace realities, teams pay more for long-term deals. They don't want to see a player become a free agent at 31 and disappear without compensation.

So the longer Bure's deal, the higher the annual salary will be.

Burke has told the Kings he will send them Bure for three of five players: Aki Berg, Olli Jokinen, Glen Murray, Jamie Storr and Jozef Stumpel. From the Rangers, he has asked for Manny Malhotra, Dan Cloutier and Niklas Sundstrom.

The Kings aren't likely to make that deal, and the Rangers certainly won't. New York might reluctantly be persuaded to part with Cloutier, but they want desperately to hang on to Malhotra. They certainly wouldn't give up both of them.

So there may be no deal this weekend, despite Burke's assurances. But if it does happen, the contract will materialize a lot faster than the trade. "I think that when people put their minds to doing these contracts, they can be done in a really short period of time," Gillis said.

"I think in the event that he is traded, we can get things up and moving in a real hurry. We've been prepared for this eventuality for a long time."

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Burke says he'll wait for as long as a trade takes

Vancouver Canuck general manager Brian Burke says his safety net, in the event he does not trade suspended star Pavel Bure this season, is five first-round draft picks.

Assuming this comes to pass - Team X signs the moody Russian and forfeits the picks - the first selection would come in the year 2000. Assuming again that Bure turns Team X into a top-third-of-the-league contender, chances are the pick would be somewhere around No. 20.

Then take into consideration an 18-year-old usually requires 2-3 years before he can make an impact and we're looking at perhaps four seasons until the Canucks get anything into their lineup for Bure. So is Burke, a man on a three-year contract, really serious when he tells the hockey world his trading game plan?

"Sure, absolutely, I can afford to wait that long," Burke responded Monday. "Maybe you're looking at a guy who steps in and plays at 18. If not, I've still got to do what's best for the franchise, not what's best for me or makes me look the best. I could have made this trade before training camp and got back assets and now we'd have a few more points and I could stand up here and brag that we're 20 points better than we were a year ago.

"I'm not interested in that. In my opinion, this deal will shape the course of this franchise for the next 5-7-10 years and I'm going to do what's best for the franchise. If that means we don't get the price, then we'll wait."

Burke disclosed that he is using the five first rounders as a framework for his proposals to other teams. Hence, his reported asking price from the New York Rangers is goalie Dan Cloutier, centre Manny Malhotra and winger Niklas Sundstrom, all former first-round selections.

"The safety net against which I'm evaluating these trade opportunities is the five first-round picks," explained Burke, who spoke Monday to club directors at the annual general meeting of Northwest Sports Enterprises, the Canucks' corporate entity. "That's why a team is going to have to step up and put a lot on the table before I make that trade. That's why it's taking some time."

Burke maintains there are still more than five teams pursuing Bure and would not comment on a Toronto-based report that both the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings have told him "to get lost" because his demands were outrageously high.

"No comment," said Burke, whose Canucks are 1-6-3 in their last 10 games and stood ninth Monday - and out of a playoff spot - in the Western Conference.

Burke admitted he is not likely to swing the Bure deal before Saturday's one-week Christmas roster freeze.

"If we could do it, it would be nice and that's our goal," he said. "But nothing happened on the weekend that led me to believe it will be done. As far as how many teams are in the hunt, the fact of the matter is there are more than five. I have agreed to keep them anonymous. Some of them don't want to be identified in the event they cannot pull off a deal. They don't want to be criticized by their media and fans."

In addition to the known bidders, a group that includes the New York Islanders, the reeling Washington Capitals are likely among the so-called anonymous bidders given the relationship between Burke and Capitals' GM George McPhee, the former Canuck employee.

Burke also predicted a flood of deals involving high-profile players once somebody makes a move on Calgary's Theo Fleury, unsigned Islander Zigmund Palffy or Bure. According to this theory, the suitors left behind will have their hands forced, although many thought the Petr Nedved trade would produce a similar chain reaction.

- Burke said Monday the Canucks are taking a position, which he fully expects will be disputed by the NHL players association, that Bure won't become a restricted free agent July 1 because he walked out. This is the final year on Bure's contract. The player will forfeit approximately $8 millon US in salary if he sits the entire season.

"I've told the league he owes us a year," Burke explained.

"His contract says that he will play for us and he hasn't performed. Our position is he does not become a free agent at the end of the season merely by the passage of time. We expect the union to contest this but it's only an issue if we don't trade him."

The NHLPA was asked Monday for their take on Burke's position but did not respond to Vancouver Sun queries.

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Bure launch scrubbed

It doesn't look like Pavel Bure is going anywhere soon.

"It wouldn't bother me if he sat out all year," Canucks general manager Brian Burke said after both the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers again told him to get lost.

Burke wanted any three of the following five players from the Kings: Jozef Stumpel, Jamie Storr, Glen Murray, Aki Berg and Olli Jokinen. The Rangers refused to surrender Niklas Sundstrom, Dan Cloutier AND Manny Malhotra for the AWOL Rocket.

"Burke wants half our team. Then you have the aggravations of dealing with someone (Bure) who is never happy," a Kings official complained to the Vancouver Province.

The Christmas trade freeze begins Saturday at midnight. Teams will be free to deal again on Dec. 27.

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Latest on Pavel....

The New York Islanders, who earlier offered the Canucks unsigned winger Zigmund Palffy for suspended right winger Pavel Bure, are apparently talking trade with the Florida Panthers. The talk is that the Panthers are interested in defenceman Bryan Berard with the New Yorkers seeking forward Oleg Kvasha and either Ed Jovanowski, Robert Svehla or Rhett Warrener - all defencemen.

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Burke still swinging for the fences

Brian Burke, who's as loose with deadlines as a drunken reporter, sounds a little Clintonesque when discussing the, er, flexible timeline of the Pavel Bure trade.

Burke now claims he never said he'd trade Bure in the latest 10- to 14-day cycle. He said he "hoped" to move the reluctant Russian in that time frame.

"I would like to deal him but this isn't a case of me setting a deadline, then taking the best deal," Burke said. "The deal will make sense or we'll take five first-rounders (as compensation for another team signing Bure). That's our safety net. It wouldn't bother me a bit if he sat out all year."

Which is starting to become a distinct possibility.

Anyway, our mission here is not to bust Burke's chops for failing to move his prize bauble. Despite his protestations -- "There are more than five teams involved," he's fond of saying -- it's becoming increasingly obvious the Canucks' GM is trying to move an overpriced property in a depressed market. And if you don't believe me, listen to a hockey man who's familiar with the case from the L.A. Kings' perspective.

"Unless there was a dramatic turn, like we started drawing 57 fans a game and we were 0-42, we can't meet (Burke's price)," the source said. "He wants half our team. Then you have the aggravation of dealing with somebody (hello, Pavel) who's never happy. I'm not saying we wouldn't do it if the right deal came along. I'm just saying we're going to build our own team and we're not going to rip it apart for Bure."

And the Kings, we hasten to add, are supposedly one of Burke's most ardent suitors. If that's the case, you'd hate to hear what the less "interested" teams think about Bure.

Our information, while anonymous, comes from a fairly impeccable source. True, we're not completely comfortable with basing our theses on unnamed sources. But getting somebody to go on the record about the Bure deal is like getting someone to go on the record about the Mafia. Besides, even if you doubt Mr. L.A. Confidential's authenticity, you have to admit there's a certain logic in his words.

Our man tells us that Burke is trying to land three Kings out of a group of five: Centres Jozef Stumpel and Olli Jokinen, winger Glen Murray, defenceman Aki Berg, and goalie Jamie Storr. That is consistent with what we know of Burke's M.O. -- he's also aiming for Manny Malholtra, Dan Cloutier and Niklas Sundstrom from the Rangers. But neither Kings general manager Dave Taylor nor Rangers GM Neil Smith feels Bure is a compelling enough attraction to command that kind of price.

"You want to be sure of what you're getting," our man says. "And with this guy (that would be Pavel again), you don't know if he'll be happy for a year, then come back and ask for $12 million the next year.

"We've been down this road with (Wayne) Gretzky. He complained because we didn't have anybody to play with him. What if we invest all that money and all those players in Bure and there's nobody left to play with him?"

Oh, we're sure Bure, being the professional he is, would take it in stride.

But what about the argument that the Kings need Bure, or a Bure-type star, to fill their magnificent new arena?

"Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (of the NBA Lakers) will sell our luxury boxes and club seats," our man said, before adding: "Our owner (Philip Anschutz) has been clear on this. He told us, 'Just because I have money, I resent the idea I have to give it to these guys.'"

The source then went on to say the Kings might, just might, consider parting with two of the aforementioned five to land Bure. This is also consistent with what we hear from the Rangers, who refuse to part with Malholtra but might cough up Cloutier and Sundstrom.

It's not the kind of blockbuster that Burke, who's still swinging for the fences, wants. But, sooner or later, he'll realize he doesn't have to go yard on this trip to the plate. Sometimes, a nice, clean single does the job, especially when you're not getting anything good to hit.

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Olli not a jolly King

LOS ANGELES -- If the Los Angeles Kings end up being the trade partner in the Pavel Bure deal, one gets the feeling that Olli Jokinen wouldn't be all that unhappy to head north.

Jokinen, the Kings' third overall pick in the 1997 draft, was a healthy scratch for the second straight game as L.A. hosted the Canucks Saturday and is steamed about it.

"Of course, it's disappointing," said Jokinen, who sat while coach Larry Robinson dressed defenceman Mark Visheau to play forward. "When I first came up I was playing 20 minutes, then I was on the fourth line and now I don't play and a D-man plays instead."

Jokinen has been rumoured to be part of the Canucks' wish list in the Bure deal and coach Mike Keenan confirmed some serious interest on the part of the Kings Saturday when he spoke about how he was close to a Russian Rocket trade last June.

"It was just before the draft, I was in charge of making trades, but when Brian (Burke) was announced as (general manager), I was relieved of those duties," said Keenan, who wanted to set the record straight in light of a report that he had a done deal with the Kings. "The talks were very intense and we had very thorough discussions with our staff. They were ongoing for a good solid week. There was a window of opportunity for us."

Keenan said the talks never reached the stage where the Canucks decided between established players or prospects.

"We were talking about a variety of different options, but one didn't override the other," said Keenan.

Reached in Vancouver Saturday, Burke said he didn't expect anything to happen with Bure on the weekend -- although the next drop-dead date on the Bure calendar is next Saturday, when the Christmas roster freeze takes effect at midnight local time and continues until midnight Dec. 27.

"Nothing's imminent," said Burke, who refused comment when asked if he'd spoken with Kings GM Dave Taylor in the last two days. "I'm still waiting for a couple of teams to get back to me."

But back to Jokinen, the big Finnish centre who was named NHL rookie of the month after collecting 4-4 in 11 games after being called up from the Kings' American League affiliate in Springfield, Mass. After averaging 18 minutes in his first nine games, Jokinen found himself in the doghouse.

Robinson says he wants the

6-foot-3, 210-pounder to be more involved along the boards: "He's a playmaker but I'd like to see a little more grit."

Jokinen said he's heard the rumours but doesn't waste any time pondering them.

"Right now I play for the Kings," he said. "You never know what happens."

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Bure looks good as a King

LOS ANGELES -- When Larry Robinson looks at Pavel Bure, he sees a Ferrari. Like anybody else, his only concern is the price tag.

Robinson, the Los Angeles Kings' coach who has seen his team's offence plummet from No. 8 in the National Hockey League last season to 27th and last, said this week he'd like to have the Canucks' Bure. But only at the right price.

The Kings are one of the teams Canuck general manager Brian Burke is speaking with about Bure, the three-time 50-goal scorer who has vowed never to play again for Vancouver.

"As a coach, anybody would love to have a Bure," Robinson said. "But to get the superstar by giving up three, four or five core players, what does that leave you? Yeah, you've got the star player but nobody to play with him."

As an example, Robinson cited the Philadelphia Flyers' 1992 acquisition of Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques, who in return received six players, including Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci and Chris Simon. The Nordiques then moved to Denver and won the Stanley Cup in 1996, while Lindros and Flyers still haven't won it.

"By Philadelphia obtaining Lindros, it won Colorado the Stanley Cup," Robinson concluded. "Going into a new building and this being Los Angeles, you want to have a marquee player. But do you want a marquee player and lose all your games?"

Speculation about the Kings' interest in Bure was spurred by comments from team president Tim Leiweke about the franchise's need for an elite, marquee player to draw fans when it moves next season into the new Staples Center.

Taylor recently refused Burke's request for first-line forwards Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel, and excellent prospect Olli Jokinen. Management from both teams denies that Canuck coach Mike Keenan had a deal with the Kings worked out last spring for Bure.

Burke said Wednesday he spoke with Taylor at league meetings in Phoenix, but they did not discuss Bure. The Canucks visit the Kings on Saturday night.

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Bure Great, but Rangers Should Put Trade on Ice

Neil Smith, Rangers president, right now is very much like the baseball manager who mapped out a game plan going into the ninth inning down by a run.

The plan was to bunt the leadoff man over if he got on, which he just did. But now, getting greedy or overly clever or both, the manager is thinking of taking off the bunt sign and going for the big inning.

A month ago, Smith would have sold his Cablevision stock for the kind of situation he presides over today: a Rangers team that has regained its equilibrium and a good chance at making the playoffs, thanks largely to his shrewd personnel moves, while growing younger, faster and cheaper than the 1997-98 playoff missers.

Yet today, Smith, his immediate superior, Dave Checketts, and their superiors at Cablevision are considering grabbing for an expensive brass ring named Pavel Bure during a season in which they have absolutely no chance to hoist the silver chalice named the Stanley Cup.

Why? Because it's there or because they can seem to be the reasons, and while that might justify climbing other mountains, it won't do with this one.

While you can't deny Bure's wondrous talent and unusual ability to entertain, or the likelihood that he would make the Rangers better right now, it is highly unlikely he would make the Rangers a Cup contender this season. More to the point, his addition could retard the team's progress toward true Cup contention for next season and beyond.

Would next year's Rangers be better off with Bure and without Brian Leetch? No way. No how. But if the Rangers do acquire Bure and pay him the more than $8 million per that his current contract requires (and any extension negotiations would require), Leetch, as the Rangers' franchise player, would be only reasonable in asking for more.

And since the Garden has yet to warm to the idea of offering Leetch much more than $6 million per to keep him from unrestricted free agency next summer - to say nothing of the $7 million to $7.5 million it undoubtedly would take - it's far-fetched to suggest Cablevision would go up to 8 million WizBucks or beyond for the Rangers captain.

What's more, spending that kind of money to sign Bure almost certainly would preclude the Rangers from submitting a summertime offer sheet to megasuperstar and prospective restricted free agent Peter Forsberg.

You say Colorado, going into a new arena next season, surely would match any offer and keep Forsberg? Then why were the Avalanche offering Joe Sakic back to the Rangers last summer (for players and lots of cash), two years after scrambling to match the front-loaded, $21 million offer sheet he signed with New York?

Granted, Bure is only 27. So acquiring him would hardly be the equivalent of the future-mortgaging deals Smith was all but obligated to make while Mark Messier was here.

Still, ever since dealing Brian Skrudland and Mike Keane to Dallas last March for the relentless Todd Harvey, Smith has been on a roll in his quest to make the Rangers leaner, meaner and greener - in an experience sense, not a fiscal one. Many question whether the Rangers should give up on a Niklas Sundstrom or sacrifice a Dan Cloutier now when they can't win this Cup anyway?

In other words, why take off the bunt sign?

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Deal for Bure at standstill

NEW YORK -- Despite stepping up his pursuit of Vancouver's Pavel Bure during the Board of Governors meetings in Phoenix on Monday and Tuesday, Rangers general manager Neil Smith returned to New York on Wednesday no closer to a deal for the disgruntled Russian Rocket.

During a break between meetings, Smith and Madison Square Garden president Dave Checketts spoke with Canucks GM Brian Burke about a trade for Bure, but Smith said he made no progress.

"We spoke the one time, but there was nothing accomplished," Smith said after the Rangers' 2-1 loss to Colorado on Wednesday night. "We had some inquiries, but there was really no substance."

Burke is believed to have asked for a package that would include left wing Niklas Sundstrom, rookie center Manny Malhotra, or goaltender Dan Cloutier. Although Smith may give up Sundstrom if the deal is right, he has no intention of including Malhotra or Cloutier.

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Deal for Pavel in Rangers' hands

In just two years since the last winning streak of that length (Dec. 13-22, 1996), GM Neil Smith has acquired and discarded, drafted and waived, until today's 24-man roster is playing cohesive, coordinated and compelling hockey. Now Smith must decide whether or not to upset this delicate balance.

While in Phoenix for the NHL's Board of Governors meeting, Smith and Garden boss Dave Checketts met with Vancouver GM Brian Burke to continue their discussions regarding grumpy holdout Pavel Bure. Smith, for the first time this season, can bargain from a position of strength, and must determine if such a move would weaken the momentum the Rangers are building, and if the addition of Bure would compensate for the loss of whatever components it would cost.

For the time being, no such deal is imminent, which means coach John Muckler's suddenly sympatico line combinations will keep rolling tonight against the Colorado Avalanche at the Garden.

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Burke hums an old tune

PHOENIX -- General manager Brian Burke says discussions to get his Canucks some help via a Pavel Bure trade are heating up.

Heat is a relative term, something you become acutely aware of as you watch snow fall in this desert community. If things are heating up, they must have been snow-cone cool beforehand.

"We haven't had any discussions with Vancouver in the last few days," said Los Angeles Kings general manager Dave Taylor at the NHL Board of Governors meetings Tuesday.

"It's out of the question for us," said Chicago Blackhawks president Bob Pulford, who would know everything GM Bob Murray was thinking of doing.

"The $8 million (US) salary would be prohibitive plus the fact (Burke) wants to take back young players making $500,000 apiece. We just won't do that kind of deal."

That leaves the ballet with New York. The Islanders have investigated and the Rangers are interested in landing the Russian Rocket. But progress is slow.

Burke and Rangers GM Neil Smith sat by the pool Monday and talked about the chance of a deal and judging by the inside information about the talk, you would think a move might be in the offing.

One GM was told the two discussed specific details of Bure's contract and how it worked, which would give one the idea the Rangers were considering taking on the pact.

Combine that with the fact Smith was hustling to a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Rangers CEO Dave Checketts and you might get enthused. But Smith is playing down anything happening soon.

"I've said all along publicly we're interested in making a deal but we're not going to hand over all our young players," said Smith Tuesday of centre Manny Malhotra and goalie Dan Cloutier. "We're not close to anything on Bure."

The Canucks, meanwhile, continue to pick up points here and there, especially at home. And they'll continue to get them as long as goalie Garth Snow makes 3,000 saves a night, a bonus that'll abate eventually.

"I keep saying it might be 10 days to two weeks, but I've never said it will be for sure," said Burke, whose relationship with his coach, Mike Keenan, can only be imagined at this point. "I've always said there is no time frame on this thing because there isn't. We'll do it when the deal is right."

The Bure trade isn't the only significant swap being discussed either as the Maple Leafs look to move goalie Felix Potvin. GM Ken Dryden has spoken with Edmonton about Potvin but asked for defenceman Boris Mironov.

While claiming he can't pay Potvin's $2.7-million contract, Oilers GM Glen Sather knows the longer this goes on, the better his chances of landing the goalie who could give his team a run in the playoffs.

Edmonton would like to return Bob Essensa or Mikhail Shtalenkov to Toronto but the Leafs are already paying Glen Healy $1.2 million in a back-up role.

The Bure waltz isn't the only tiresome music being heard around the NHL.

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Sundstrom May Play His Way to Vancouver

At virtually the same time he was doing so, the man who drafted him, Rangers president Neil Smith, was huddling with a rival GM who was interested in acquiring Sundstrom as part of a package for holdout scoring machine Pavel Bure.

What's more, Garden president Dave Checketts joined Smith in an afternoon get-together with Vancouver GM Brian Burke yesterday in Scottsdale, Ariz., as the trio stole away from the NHL's Board of Governors meeting to talk trade.

Sundstrom, of course, isn't the sticking point from a Rangers' perspective. Burke's so-far insistence on the inclusion of either Dan Cloutier or Manny Malhotra (or both) has caused Smith to balk at serious discussions of a blockbuster that would bring Bure to New York.

However, Sundstrom is by far the most accomplished of those three young Rangers. And he last night spent a second straight game showing that his uneven play over the season's first two months was an aberration — a reaction to unaccustomed criticism from his coach and rampant trade rumors.

"He's been on me the whole year, but I've been kind of struggling," Sundstrom said of Rangers coach John Muckler after tying his career high with a four-point game (one goal, three assists). "He's told me to work harder and with more intensity and I've been working on that."

Sundstrom had never before heard much criticism from a coach nor his name in trade rumors and he has had to learn how to deal with both.

"He's right, I've been struggling," Sundstrom said of Muckler. "I've just tried to stay focused and not think about the rumors."

Many of Sundstrom's teammates wonder what all the fuss has been about on both counts — including new linemate Petr Nedved.

"I don't think he was struggling," said Nedved, who has scored a point in each of his seven games as a Ranger (3-7—10). "I thought he was playing well.

"I know he didn't play much in the third period against Florida (three games ago). And I guess maybe he wasn't playing the way they wanted. But I just think he's a great player."

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Bure buried in Vancouver -- until Rangers make a move

Mike Keenan's voice perked up when I asked him for the name of the toughest player to stop on his Vancouver team as part of a survey we were doing on every team for our annual Hockey Yearbook. We wanted Keenan to tell us why these players were so difficult to stop and how he might try to stop them.

"Pavel Bure is the most electrifying player in the league," Keenan said proudly. "Solo efforts always are highlight-film material. He and Paul Kariya are among the best as far as having breakaway talent.

"Pavel has a dangerous shot anywhere in the offensive zone."

There was a pause in the coach's voice. "Now," he said, "I suppose you want me to tell every other coach in the NHL how to stop Pavel, eh?"

That's right, coach. All the secrets.

Keenan went on to talk about how much Bure, who twice had 60 goals and finished with 51 last season, wants to get the puck at center ice, where he can get up some speed to be at his most effective. He says that's where you have to attack the 27-year-old superstar.

But shortly after the interview, something else entered the picture, something that would stop Bure even colder than Keenan's suggestions. Bure told the world he never wanted to play in Vancouver again.

Forget his raise in salary from $5.5 million to $8.3 million. The Russian Rocket wanted out.

Without Bure, Keenan's offense has struggled, as you might expect. But as the league's hierarchy gathers in Phoenix this week for meetings, look for the Bure issue to go from the back burner to the charcoal broiler.

Canucks G.M. Brian Burke has been under pressure from Keenan and the media to do something for the struggling team. But, to his credit, Burke refuses to make a quick-fix move. There is too much at stake for the future of the franchise.

"I'm not making a crappy deal because Alexander Mogilny (knee, out for a couple of weeks) got hurt," Burke says. "I don't care if five more guys get hurt. We are talking about a key move for this franchise."

Although Bure is a player no team would pass on, he brings baggage with him most clubs don't want to bother with. Bure not only gets $8.3 million this season, but a team would have to sign him to a larger deal to keep him because his contract runs out after this season. And before last season, he had missed 86 of 164 games in 1995-96 and '96-97 as a result of injuries.

The dollars eliminate previously mentioned suitors such as the Islanders, Flyers, Devils and Capitals, and the Kings have said no to Vancouver's demand for two or three forwards, including Jozef Stumpel, Glenn Murray and Ollie Jokinen.

"Are you kidding?" Panthers G.M. Bryan Murray says in reference to his team's interest in Bure or free agent Ziggy Palffy. "We know one wants $8 million to $10 million -- and the other is telling teams he wants the same.

"It makes no sense to pay one player two and three times more than any other player you have on your team. Even the Rangers. What do they say to Wayne Gretzky?"

In all honesty, the only team that can afford Bure is the Rangers. With the Rangers, we are talking about dollars and desperation. We are talking about an old, slow team trying to put together a contender before Gretzky retires.

Winds of change on Broadway started blowing last week that previously untouchable forward Niklas Sundstrom isn't a sacred cow anymore. The Canucks want Sundstrom, young goalie Dan Cloutier and center Manny Malhotra, the Rangers' first-round pick this year. They were first told they couldn't have Sundstrom. Now, it appears, they can get Sundstrom and Cloutier, but a player such as defenseman Chris Tamer or Peter Popovic will have to be wangled to replace a prospect such as Malhotra.

"Some might say it's like being in love with a woman who's not in love with you," Burke says dejectedly. "I'm getting sick of hearing his name. Pavel doesn't want to play for us. And he'll sit the entire season if we can't make the right deal for this team."

In New York, G.M. Neil Smith, who is getting some second-line scoring from newcomer Petr Nedved and friends, probably goes to bed at night dreaming of how many goals Gretzky and Bure could combine for and how much better the Rangers would be with a devastating combination like that up front. Look for the deal to be done by Christmas -- if not sooner.

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How much do Rangers want Bure?

The New York Rangers are interested in Vancouver's on-strike winger Pavel Bure. There is no question about that.

That doesn't mean there aren't questions about their interest in Bure.

Like, question No. 1: Do they really want Bure? Or, question No. 2: Do they really need Bure?

There is so much to consider when it comes to a trade, or a potential trade, of this magnitude. At this time, with this team, here are some of those considerations:

MONEY: Bure will make about $9.5 million (or a prorated fraction of that) this season, and will want at least something comparable for the next few years. The Rangers will want to be sure he's signed to an extension before they trade for him. Assuming that ownership (Cablevision) finds money in the budget for Bure, the Rangers will still need to first re-sign Brian Leetch, because if Bure is signed first at, say, $9 million, it will cost more than that to sign Leetch.

Earlier, the belief was that if the Rangers got Bure, they would have to shed some payroll first. That wouldn't be a problem, the thinking went, because Adam Graves was headed out of town, and because a Jeff Beukeboom and/or other high-priced veterans figured to be included in whatever deal the Rangers would make with Vancouver.

Now, however, Graves has cemented his importance to this team and doesn't appear to be going anywhere, and the Canucks want kids, not veterans.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?: Start with winger Niklas Sundstrom and Dan Cloutier. The Rangers would have a problem with that, and those two players wouldn't be enough. Perhaps, the longer they wait, the lower the price. Perhaps not. There is no way the Rangers are including Manny Malhotra or Todd Harvey.

Is it crazy to trade Cloutier? Probably. But consider that Mike Richter is signed for this season and the next three, which means Cloutier may not be a No. 1 goalie in New York until after 2001-2002. There is something else to consider. Barring some shenanigans, the Rangers figure to lose a goalie in the 2000 expansion draft. They're OK for next summer, because technically they lost Richter last June (then signed him as a free agent), and teams can't lose a goalie in two consecutive expansion drafts. So they're looking at losing Richter or Cloutier for nothing in 18 months.

Another possibility is to trade Richter instead of Cloutier. To do that, the Rangers would have to eat some of Richter's salary. Vancouver wasn't interested in paying Richter that type of money when he was a free agent. There's no reason to think they'd pay it now. Also, if the Rangers are going to trade Richter, they'd better get Leetch signed first, because if Richter is dealt, Leetch will probably choose to not sign. Or to do so only at an inflated price.

There is also talk of the Rangers having to toss in a first-round draft pick. That doesn't seem like a big deal, except if they trade a first-rounder it takes them out of the running for any Group II free agent next summer. Remember, the compensation for signing a Group II is five first-rounders, and if a team doesn't have the five, it can't play that game. One of the big, big, big Group II guys in July is Peter Forsberg, who is one of the top two or three players in the game by anybody's book. The Rangers may take a run at him ... if they have all their picks.

DO THEY NEED BURE?: Maybe the question(s) should be, does Bure make them Cup contenders? Because he does not. Does he help them make the playoffs? Absolutely. Can they make the playoffs without Bure or some other scorer? Probably not. The Rangers are better now with Petr Nedved, but there will come another stretch when they don't score more than two goals in a game for about two weeks. Then Bure or some other big-scoring winger will look to be the answer.

OTHER OPTIONS: Theo Fleury is available from Calgary. He would help the Rangers make the playoffs, no doubt. Mark Recchi might be available soon from Montreal. He could step right in on Wayne Gretzky's right side as well. Either might be available for a lot less than Bure will demand.

However, Bure is a legit 50-goal scorer. There are only a small handful of those in the NHL today. The price is high. It should be high. But, for instance, it would be easier to replace Cloutier through free agency in four years than it would be to find another 50-goal scorer. It's a tough call for Neil Smith, and his bosses, to make.
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Phil Esposito made an inauspicious debut as Fox Sports News' hockey analyst this week. That should be no surprise to anybody who A) remembers Espo as a color analyst on MSG in the 1980s; B) knows how bad he was with the media as Tampa Bay's general manager; or C) knows just how bad Fox's people can be, since they always go for the high-profile rather than those with real connections and reportorial skills.
So, there was Espo, as usual, yakking about his playing career. Then he went through a whole breakdown of a New Jersey Devils game, and couldn't remember Jason Arnott's name — he repeatedly called him only ''No. 25''. He mispronounced the name of Paul Laus (it's ''LAWS'').

Then, Esposito made a big deal out of the discrepancy between the two-game suspension Bobby Holik got early this season for slew-footing, and the ''12-game suspension'' Rob Ray got this week for a similar infraction. Esposito claimed that Ray got 12 games because his victim, Alex Hicks, got hurt. Well, somebody should have told Esposito that Ray only got four games.
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Toronto is certainly the biggest surprise so far, sitting near the top of the Eastern standings. What is strikingly odd, though, is that the Maple Leafs were basement dwellers when they were in the Western Conference. This year they moved to the East. Yet the Leafs' record coming into the weekend was 9-1-1 against the West and 4-8-1 against the East.

That the Pittsburgh Penguins took the $2.5 million the Rangers gave them in the Petr Nedved deal, and used the entire bundle to meet their Dec. 1 payroll, is further convincing evidence that Jaromir Jagr will eventually be sold off (to Los Angeles, it says here). And that the Penguins will have to be sold (and moved) soon.
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Teams aren't exactly lining up for Penguins' available defenseman Kevin Hatcher, are they?
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It's funny how many people now act like they knew how mean Mark Messier was to Nedved when they were teammates in 1995. Fact is, nobody was sure of it until after Nedved was traded. And, according to those who were in the locker room, while Messier didn't think Nedved belonged on the team, he never once made Nedved feel like he wasn't part of the team.

And besides, Nedved was god-awful in his first tour as a Ranger. Soft and unproductive is a deadly combination. Already Nedved has proven to be far tougher, and he will produce now that he has matured, this second time around.
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Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur, who still works for the organization, ripped into the team, into GM Rejean Houle, and into some players, including Brian Savage. It hurt Savage badly, since he idolizes The Flower, and since he sits in a locker beneath Lafleur's photograph at Molson Centre. But Savage was smart enough to say he would not get into a war with Guy Lafleur in Montreal. That would be a no-win proposition.
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Philadelphia was averaging 12.1 penalty minutes a game coming into the weekend, the second lowest average in the NHL. Did you ever think you'd read a sentence like that?
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It's possible that the Rangers could end up without Leetch, Graves, Ulf Samuelsson and Gretzky next fall, and without getting anything in return. I think the Rangers are smart enough to not let that happen. I also think Gretzky's staying at least one more year, unless the Rangers completely collapse and Leetch is gone.
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Brian Burke, the Canucks' GM, insists that coach Mike Keenan has not been put under a gag order. But Iron Mike has gotten awfully quiet, after making a whole bunch of noise. Those two may not make it to Christmas together, and if Keenan goes, it will be interesting to see what happens to Bure, not to mention Messier.

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Canucks would want King-sized haul

It is the most anticipated move of the past couple of seasons. When the Vancouver Canucks finally deal disgruntled forward Pavel Bure, it will help chart the fate of not only Vancouver, but the team to which he is traded.

Mike Keenan has made his wishes clear: trade Bure sooner rather than later.

The Bure saga has been nothing short of a soap opera. First there are the mysterious reasons why Bure would want to leave the gorgeous, hockey-mad area. Then there's the coach Mike Keenan/general manager Brian Burke subplot, revolving around two bright, strong-minded individuals. Then there's the matter of whether players are impatient/angry/disheartened/unaffected (take your pick) over the length of time the move is taking.

Then there is the matter of Bure himself being out on the sidelines for so long, when a league starved for superstar players muddles on with too many teams stretched too thin on talent.

Addressing the issues one by one, Bure reportedly wants out for a myriad of reasons:

One is that the travel in the Western Conference is far more taxing than the East. Bure, not a great flier to begin with, wants to spend less time on airplanes.

No. 2, Bure feels like Vancouver is the equivalent of living life in a fishbowl. If he could be traded to New York, let's say, he would have a chance to blend in with the other 9 million souls who inhabit the city, most of whom have never heard of him.

Third, Bure wants to play for what he feels is a contending team. His addition to the Rangers' roster would instantly make them more of a contender than they are now. Bure is said to believe the Canucks are much farther away from Stanley Cup glory.

The pressure cooker in Vancouver has more than heated up, because of Alexander Mogilny's knee injury that will keep him out another couple of weeks and Todd Bertuzzi's broken leg, which is likely to sideline him until the holidays.

With no Bure or his equivalent, times have been tough for the Canucks. Going into Friday night's home contest against Dallas, they were winless in six games, having broken a five-game losing streak with a 1-1 tie Tuesday night at Boston.

Burke said he's working on a deal, but he wisely won't be pressured into trading the 27-year old star until the right offer comes along. This is the most important trade in the Canucks' history, and the impact stands to be enormous.

Keenan has made reference to the fact he'd like to have whatever they get for Bure sooner rather than later.

"Mike would prefer to get the trade done, like every coach would,'' said Burke. "He's been impatient at times, but I understand that. I've never met a coach yet who's happy with his team. This isn't a revelation. It's not a Keenan-Burke thing. It's a coach/GM thing.''

One published report that said there was grousing in the dressing room about a comment Burke made regarding the club's fortunes. Burke said he didn't care if five more players were injured, or the team lost five more games, he wouldn't be bullied into making a rash deal. That rationale makes perfect sense. But reportedly, a couple of players, quoted anonymously, were upset by that, since they are worrying about the short-term fortunes of the club (their jobs) while Burke is taking the logical long view as GM.

Realistically, there are 27 teams in the NHL, but there aren't 26 others banging down the door for Bure. Some clubs are out of the mix because they don't have enough to give in terms of talent. Others are disqualified because they either wouldn't or couldn't pony up the salary.

"Our record does not have a bearing on this trade,'' said Burke. "I don't think our players are upset at all. I don't think it was a player who spoke to the reporter. I don't believe any of our players spoke to that journalist. It's no big deal, it's a little wave. It was the logical answer and the right answer, and this writer tried to turn it into something it's not.''

When Burke stepped down from his post as dean of discipline of the NHL, he did so knowing that a challenge awaited him in Western Canada. Burke said he just didn't realize how much of a challenge it would be.

"When I interviewed for the job, I was told by ownership that he had made it clear he wanted a trade, so it wasn't a surprise,'' he said. "What was a surprise was his refusal to play. I said to his agent, 'Give us a deadline.' I said, 'Give us until Dec. 1.' We were unsuccessful that way. As far as it being a headache, it's just part of the job. (Bure) has given me some reasons, which I agreed I would keep confidential until after the trade. As I said to our fans in Vancouver, I think when they hear them, they're not going to understand them anyway.''

Burke said no matter how it played out, he didn't feel the need to try to sell Bure on the merits of Vancouver. He believes they're obvious.

"I'm not going to kiss anyone's butt to play in Vancouver, the most beautiful city in North America,'' he said. "We've got a brand-new rink, we've got our own airplane. We have a great practice facility. I'm not kissing his butt, or anyone else's, to play for us.''

Despite what has been bandied about in the media, veteran defenseman Jamie Huscroft said the players are firmly behind Burke and his philosophy. "I'm not going to kiss anyone's butt to play in Vancouver, the most beautiful city in North America. We've got a brand-new rink, we've got our own airplane. We have a great practice facility. I'm not kissing his butt, or anyone else's, to play for us.''

"Honestly, (Bure's absence has not been a distraction) at all,'' said Huscroft. "The only time we bring it up is when it's in the paper and then, big deal. Brian Burke is an incredibly intelligent man. He knows. You're not going to fool him. No one even worries. We know he'll do the best thing for the team.

"If it is going to help the team this year, great," Huscroft said. "Where it's probably going to help the team is two or three years down the road. We're going to suffer in the short term, yes, but he's worried about the long term. No one cares more about winning than [Burke], but it's going to take time, and we all know who this guy is, and that's why we're not worried. If it were anyone else in the front office, we'd be thinking, 'I hope he makes a good deal,' but no one is worried at all. Burke is a great GM. I like it because no one is pulling the wool over his eyes.''

As for the team's play of late, Huscroft said despite the final scores of some of their losses, the games for the most part have been close, at least for all but a few crucial, awful minutes.

"We were always right in it until the closing minutes, like in Ottawa,'' he said. "Then we went to Detroit and we had 'em, not pinned up against the wall, but we were playing very well, to say the least. Then all of a sudden they tied it up, they got one more goal to make it 2-1, and then we started running around. Guys were maybe doing more individual stuff and less teamwork, and then bang, a team like that ... seven goals in one period, that was hard.

"Then Philly, it was kind of exactly the same thing. We missed some great chances, some open nets, and then it was a tie game. They went ahead by a goal, we started running around and bang, it was 6-2. When it falls, we fall hard. We have to take it as a learning experience, and not run around, and trust each other.''

As hard as this string has been, Huscroft singled out the Detroit game as downright humiliating.

"Seven goals in one period, I don't care who you are,'' he said. "We're all professional athletes, and you're not allowed to do that. If you take that as a learning experience, we go to Philly and do the same thing. But Mike is a great coach. He knows the game better than anybody I've been around. If anybody can get us out of this ... he's not pulling from the opposite end of the wagon. He's right there with us. He'll give us a little verbal abuse, but he knows what's going on. We've got a few key injuries, and that's really hurting us.''

As much as Huscroft said the team is behind Burke, the players are also behind Keenan's quest to get as much out of the current roster until reinforcements arrive.

"We were doing great without (Bure),'' said Huscroft. "Todd Bertuzzi was playing unbelieveable. He was probably our best player.''

Like everyone, Huscroft had thought that Bertuzzi, back when he played for the Islanders, was a dog.

"I did think that, playing against him,'' said Huscroft, who was playing for Calgary and Tampa Bay at the time. "I was like, 'Who the heck is this kid? He's nothing.' You'd almost laugh at him. But he was by far the best player at training camp, there was no one better. Hands down. He was in good shape. He's got some of the most unbelieveable hands and poise. He's so calm. He just wants that puck. He was scoring up a storm. He was just dominating out there, it was great. You wanted him on your team. He had a little bit of a slow start, then picked it right up, and then, bang, gets a slapshot off the leg and breaks his leg. Then a little later, Al Mogilny goes down. Without Al, a lot of our offense was gone, and guys were trying to make up for it.''

So far, despite the uncomfortable waiting period for help to arrive, Huscroft said it's been remarkably calm in the dressing room and as far as he's concerned, it's been even more remarkably calm between Keenan and Burke.

"They're both very smart, and they know if they're battling each other, we're not winning a thing,'' he said. "They haven't gotten into a heated battle yet.''

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Enough! No more Bure until he's gone

It's early, but this newspaper and every other media outlet should make their New Year's resolution today and stick to it.

No more Pavel Bure stories until a deal is done or until someone says the trade will be made tomorrow and here's the package. No more dreamed up, drug-induced stories simply to fill pages. The way this thing has dragged on, Sarah McLaughlin may have been able to write a song by now.

A second resolution is to search for the guy called Unnamed Sources and punch his lights out.

I'd rather read more about the Nisga'a land deal then another non-story on where Bure may go, could go, should go or wants to go.

Rather then dwell on what may happen in trying to trade one unhappy millionaire for another, it makes more sense to look at what the Canucks have because this is the product they're flogging to the public.

I laughed when Canucks coach Mike Keenan was mouthing off last week about how his team doesn't have any depth. How convenient for Keenan to forget that this is the team he built.

All Vancouver general manager Brian Burke's done is go out and buy Murray Baron and make a nothing trade for Trent Klatt.

Keenan may be tempted to say that Burke hasn't done anything in the six months he's been on the job, but when you look at the roster Keenan left him, what other deals can he make to get immediate help?

They have nothing to move in goal. They'd be crazy to move any one of their top four defencemen. With Mattias Ohlund, Bryan McCabe, Baron and Adrian Aucoin, they finally have some raw potential back there and in a year or two will have one of the NHL's better blue-lines.

Up front who're they going to move? They can't give up on Alex Mogilny. Once they get the injured Todd Bertuzzi back they have to give him a chance to prove he can be the big hitter that his size says he should be. They won't get squat for Markus Nasland. No one's going to go for Mark Messier unless they lose a centre at the trade deadline and the Canucks are willing to pick up a big part of his contract.

The next time Keenan's behind the bench and the game seems like it's taking a month to play he should remember he brought a lot of this upon himself.

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Canucks would want King-sized haul

The Canucks got down to serious talks with the increasingly desperate Los Angeles Kings in the last few days to work on the Pavel Bure trade.

While there may be the makings of a deal, it didn't go so far as to leave Kings general manager Dave Taylor slavering for his next meeting with his Canucks' opposite, Brian Burke. At least that's what Taylor's saying.

The Kings can afford to give up one of their young goalies, Stephane Fiset or Jamie Storr. They can afford to give up one of their young forwards. The Kings would prefer it was Josh Green rather than Ollie Jokinen, but maybe the latter could be parted with. They can also afford to give up defenceman Aki Berg, the young Swedish free agent who opted to stay home when the Kings didn't meet his asking price this season.

While Canucks coach Mike Keenan wouldn't do handstands in acquiring a player who can't even play in the NHL this year without clearing waivers, he would agree Berg would be a marvellous future asset. But with Mattias Ohlund, Bryan McCabe and Bryan Allen coming on,defence isn't at the desperation level of the forward lines.

The man the Kings feel they can't give up is Jozef Stumpel, the Slovak centre whose play left their offence No. 7 in goals last season and whose absence has been catastrophic this year. What's the point of getting Bure if you have no established centre to get him the puck?

And here's the rub between these two teams. How can the Canucks afford to do this deal and not get a proven centre in return?

Mark Messier and Peter Zezel at one point played on a line with wingers Abraham and Isaac. Josh Holden shows you the square root of sweet fanny adam and Dave Scatchard might be a solid third-liner on his best night. Unless PR man Chris Brumwell can play in the middle, it might be a thought to augment the position with the Bure trade, given ex-GM Pat Quinn couldn't fix the toothache in the 10 years he ran the team.

Feeling they can't give up Stumpel and don't want to part with Berg nor Jokinen, the Kings have held discussions with the Islanders about Ziggy Palffy, where they face a similar quandary. Uniting the two Slovak national team stars would bring excitement to the Kings new building, the Staples Center, next year. It wouldn't be as much as Bure, but then neither would the price. If the Kings can get away with paying Palffy not too much more than $5.5 million US, they can keep their upper-salary limit, which has been set with the recent signing of injured star defender Rob Blake.

"We did have extensive talks when we were in Montreal (Sunday and Monday), but it hasn't gone so far that I've asked for permission to talk to the agent," said Taylor from Toronto. "We would lose a lot of money this year to do a deal like this, but we're talking about it. É We have to keep our payroll on an even keel."

Stumpel is the measure of any deal made. If the Canucks get him, they win. If the Kings keep him, they win. The Kings could lose in the long run if the Canucks get Jokinen and he develops into a Peter Forsberg-like centre many feel he can become. But he's potential and for Bure, potential doesn't cut it.

So Burke goes back to the Rangers and maybe rings the 'Hawks and Flyers. The dance is endless.

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Burke could learn lesson from Sather

The Vancouver Canucks are home this morning after a road trip which saw more than nine points lost.

Gone also is much of the confidence they built in the first section of the season and the damage done will take a couple of weeks minimum to repair. And repairs can't begin until more players with NHL skill are inserted into this crew which will now be foist off on the paying public at GM Place.

Home also from his absurd tub-thumping public relations tour is general manager Brian Burke, a man whose frenetic work pace always seems to be a topic. There is not a soul in the world who would question how hard the GM is working trying to improve this team. But when you look around and watch other successful GMs, even Burke has to wonder how smart he's working.

When is the last time you saw Glen Sather make a tour of NHL cities making 'off the record' statements to reporters and appearing on camera whether he'd agreed to an interview or not? Has anyone seen Sather on a red-eye other than a post-game team charter? Does he work one torturous day after another with a lap-top in one hand and a cell in the other?

Not a chance. When you find Slats on a phone it's entirely likely the call has been relayed from his Edmonton office to Palm Springs, where he wisely spends much of the northern Alberta winter. If you intrude onto his cell phone, he's likely to be picking out tiles for the new home he and his wife are building down there.

Does Sather rush around to see every player mentioned in a deal before he makes it? Did he personally scout Janne Niinimaa in every city he'd ever been to before stealing him from under the nose of the Flyers Bobby Clarke last year?

And please, this is not to disparage Burke. It's a matter of styles and efficiency. Nobody can do this work by himself without trusting with his job the people who do his scouting, pro or amateur. And you wonder about that trust because Burke has made virtually no changes to his staff other than to replace the departed Rick Ley.

Nowadays, virtually every game is available on television. What little more you can tell in person about a player is lost in the fatigue induced by repeatedly crossing the continent. Burke has been doing this sort of thing so long, you wonder whether he's really sat down for more than 10 days away from a cell phone and thought about whether it's the most efficient way to do his job.

Sather has a satellite dish where he watches what he wants and tapes what he might need. On any given day, he'll know exactly how any player is performing because his scouts are thoroughly trusted and they're everywhere.

It would also be an excellent idea to bring the coach actively into the Pavel Bure trade. Iron Mike has developed a large network of contacts and no matter what he's done to payrolls, he's hit home runs on big trades. In his two biggest moves, he got Chris Chelios for Denis Savard and Chris Pronger for Brendan Shanahan.

It's too early to say the Canucks have waited too long on this Bure deal, although that's the way it looks as only the Kings and the Rangers appear to be possible dance partners. But isn't it reasonable to think there might be a more efficient way to do this.

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Keenan still has a veto

Mike Keenan is now coaching the Canucks extremely well while largely being kept in the dark on the Pavel Bure trade.

But it doesn't have to be that way if Keenan decides he must have a more active role.

Keenan has a clause in his contract which specifically stipulates that "ownership, senior management and Keenan" must agree to any personnel changes.

The clause was put into Keenan's deal when it was agreed that he would not carry the title of general manager last year but would act in concert with ownership and then-acting GM Steve Tambellini. It was after Keenan was hired that ownership decided to bring in a general manager, but at no point was the clause ever removed from his deal.

"I cannot comment on the specifics of Mike's contract," said Keenan's Toronto agent/lawyer, Rob Campbell, on Tuesday.

"But I think it's pretty clear from his actions that Mike is not paying much attention to that part of his deal. I keep telling him that it's in his best interests just to coach the club and that's what he's been doing."

The clause almost certainly means Burke, who evidently accepted these terms when he assumed his current job, is likely to avoid a deal involving only prospects.

It also almost certainly precludes the threat Burke is fond of making that if he can't find the right deal he would hold Bure out all season.

As Bure is almost certain to get an offer as a free agent if he is not traded by the summer, it would be highly unlikely Keenan would find five first-round draft picks suitable compensation unless his contract were extended.

If the eventual deal is reasonable, it is not likely Keenan would press his contractual rights even if he thought there was better deal somewhere else.

He has already declared a breach of contract when he slipped out of his contract with the New York Rangers after the '94 Stanley Cup.

Keenan would certainly not relish another appointment with commissioner Gary Bettman to haggle over what monies may be owed under the deal as was the case when he was terminated in St. Louis.

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Keenan has say in deal

  Canucks general manager Brian Burke is close to making a trade, but it may not involve Pavel Bure.

 "I've talked to 15 teams today and only one said, 'Okay, we'll talk again tomorrow,' " Burke said. "This (potential deal) is less than Bure but it's not necessarily minor."

 Burke, whose team is on a six-game winless streak, said he has talked to 20 teams since last Friday.

 As for a potential deal for Bure, it turns out Canucks coach Mike Keenan may have more say in any trade than was first believed.

 Sources said last night that Keenan has a clause in his contract -- which he signed last year -- that says club ownership, senior management and the coach must agree to any player-personnel moves.

 The clause was inserted into his contract when it was agreed he would not become the club's general manager and it was never removed or amended after Burke joined the Canucks in the summer.

 It's not likely that Keenan would ever exercise the clause, but it certainly guarantees his input in any transaction.

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