Oilers Poach Duck With 'Dumb' Offer

Anaheim, Edmonton GMs trade barbs over Penner salary
By Jesse Andrews,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 3, 2007 5:29 AM CDT
Oilers Poach Duck With 'Dumb' Offer
Anaheim's Dustin Penner picks up the Stanley Cup at the Winkler Arena in Manitoba in this July 7, 2007, file photo. The Ducks cut ties with Penner Thursday when they opted not to match a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet from the Edmonton Oilers. (AP Photo/John Woods, CP,file)   (Associated Press)

The Ducks have lost their first marquee player since winning the Stanley Cup in June, and GM Brian Burke is enraged. Embattled Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe offered 24-year-old winger Dustin Penner a deal averaging $4.25 million, a nine-fold salary increase that Burke sees as desperate and fears will spur salary inflation across the league.

Anaheim will be compensated with first-, second-, and third-round picks from the Oilers in 2008, which Burke predicted would be especially valuable due to Lowe's ineptitude.  Retorted Lowe: "I'm not in the business of trying to make friends," adding about the deal's supposed unacceptability, "a number of [managers] ... were very supportive." (More NHL stories.)

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