Shortly after Vancouver fired Dave Nonis, the Leafs received permission to speak to Nonis who had worked under Burke when they both worked for the Canucks. Nonis reportedly spent 3 days in Toronto and it was assumed he would sign a contract with the Maple Leafs. However, last week he instead signed a contract with Anaheim to be special advisor to Burke.
So what gives? Why didn’t the Leafs hire Nonis? It was initially assumed that the Ducks would release Burke this summer after the entry draft and free agent signing frenzy ended. The current consensus is that Burke will complete his contract with the Duck and be free to sign elsewhere next summer. As a result, the Leafs let it be known that Cliff Fletcher will continue to manage the hockey team and there was no urgency to signing Nonis. So Nonis signed instead with the Ducks. Now it’s never been announced the term of his contract with the Ducks but it’s unlikely to be beyond Burke’s stay in Anaheim. That would mean that both men would be free to sign elsewhere by next July.
