BURKE IS TOO KIND

After yet another comment today by a Sens fan claiming Brian Burke didn't even build the Cup winning Ducks, that it was in fact Bryan Murray, I thought it was time to have a closer look. I know Brian Burke and Cryin' Bryan are buddies so I followed my suspicion that if Brian Burke can say nice things about Richard Peddie, surely he's not opposed to giving his old pal Cryin' a little too much credit?

Here is what I dug up:

2002 DRAFT: After coaching the Ducks into the ground in 2001/2002, now GM Bryan Murray gets to choose 7th overall. He takes Joffrey Lupul. After this high first round pick, guess how many NHL players he drafted in the following 8 rounds? None.

2003 DRAFT: Murray arrives to his 2nd and final draft as Anaheim GM with two first round picks. He picks Ryan Getzlaf with his 19th overall pick, and then Corey Perry with the 28th in this very deep first round. The deepest in years. In fact, Nathan Horton, Eric Staal, Marc Andre-Fleury, Dion Phaneuf, Ryan Suter, Zack Parise, Jeff Carter, and Ryan Kesler are all taken before Perry's name is called. In the next 7 rounds (Anaheim have no 2nd rounder), Murray finds one more NHLer in Shane O'Brien.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MURRAY SIGNED WHILE GM:
Steve Thomas, Adam Oates, Peter Sykora, Sandis Ozilinsh, Rob Niedermayer, Chris Kunitz.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MURRAY INHERITED:
Giguere, Pauhlsson & McDonald.

NOTABLE PLAYERS BURKE BROUGHT TO CUP WINNING TEAM:
S. Neidermayer, Pronger, Moen, Marchant, Beauchemin, Selanne.

VERDICT: Brian Burke should thank Murray's predesessor, then himself, and then Lady Luck, and then, maybe then, a nod goes to Murray.

Thanks for coming out.