Burke on players asking for a trade and how it’s not an easy deal to make
Sportsnet: Brian Burke on ‘To the Point’ on how big of a problem is it that players like Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois are asking for trades.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“Well right now it’s not a big problem but it could be a big problem, and I always think with a Canadian GMs hat on. Whenever we ask for a no-trade list from players, all the Canadian teams are on it, even with Canadian kids. Broke my heart. They don’t want to play in Canada because of the tax structure.
So if you see Winnipeg having trouble with guys asking to get traded, Columbus guys asking to get traded. Remember when players turn pro they have virtually no say on where they go and virtually no say on where they play of up to seven or eight years, and it’s true of all sports except basketball. There’s a length apprenticeship before you get the right to walk. This could be a dangerous trend. I’m going to keep an eye on it.”
David Amber says that agents and players think they have the right to ask for a trade and the team has the right to not trade them. Why not wait out, try to get the best deal, and make it work.
“You know what the hardest thing is as a GM in professional sports? Trading a disstressed asset. Trading a guy whose asked for a trade.
I traded Pavel Bure when he refused to play for me. I did not make a good trade. I told the owner John McCaw at that time, this is the best we’re going to do, and we’re losing too many games now because we don’t have him in the lineup. We gotta take the players we can get and move on. Getting fair value for these guys is going to be next to impossible.”