If anybody can relate to the pressure Minnesota Wild general manager Doug Risebrough is under with Marian Gaborik, it's Brian Burke.
Gaborik, the Wild's all-time leading scorer and game-breaker, has been unwilling to sign a contract extension and is on the trading block.
Burke has been there. In fact, the Anaheim Ducks GM has been on both ends of this complicated spectrum.
Burke was able to take advantage of the Oilers in 2006 when star defenseman Chris Pronger wanted out of Edmonton. And in 1999, Burke was forced to trade Pavel Bure when the Russian Rocket was holding out in Vancouver.
"Doug Risebrough doesn't need any advice from me on his job. He's a top GM," said Burke, a friend of Risebrough's. "If trading Gaborik is what they decide to do with him, they'll get value for him."
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Burke certainly was able to get quality value for Bure, whom he traded to the Florida Panthers on Jan. 17, 1999, along with Bret Hedican and Brad Ference for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Kevin Weekes and Mike Brown. A month later, the Panthers signed Bure to the most lucrative contract in franchise history -- a six-year, $58 million deal.
"Bure refused to play," Burke said. "And I get along with Pavel, but I said to Pavel at the time, 'it's much easier to move you if you play.' He said, 'I'm not playing.' I said, 'Then it'll be January before you get traded. I need a GM to be desperate, and no one is going to be desperate before January.'
"Marian's not doing that. He's playing and playing well."
