Former Vancouver Canucks' general manager Brian Burke appears to be on track to become the next president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Burke told TSN on Tuesday that he expects a deal will be completed.

"He stopped just short of saying there's an agreement in principle, because there are still some details to negotiate with MLSE, but it sounds like the big things have been dealt with," TSN's Rod Smith told CTV on Tuesday.

TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Burke has a "term sheet" that sets out many of the conditions of a contract:

  • A six-year term
  • A salary of $3 million
  • Signing and performance bonuses

However, Burke, 53, hasn't not yet seen an actual contract, and he said there are details that must be clarified.

Some reports suggest one detail that remains is who Burke will report to: The board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment or to current Leafs president Richard Peddie.

The Leafs have been without a long-term general manager since the club fired John Ferguson Jr. in late January. Cliff Fletcher has been the interim GM since the firing of John Ferguson, Jr. in January. Some expected Fletcher would hold the job until Burke became available, which might not have been until the end of the 2008-09 season.

However, Burke told the Anaheim Ducks he didn't wish a contract extension as that California NHL club's general manager. As a result, the team announced it was moving Bob Murray into the GM's job and making Burke a special consultant.

That had the effect of making it easier for the Maple Leafs to negotiate with Burke.

When the Leafs announced the hiring of Ron Wilson as the team's new coach, many saw it as a sign that Burke would eventually end up here too. The two are friends and were roommates in college, although they haven't worked together before.

Under Burke's tenure, the Ducks won a Stanley Cup in 2007. Wilson hasn't won a Stanley Cup, but he did coach the U.S. team to victory in the 1996 World Cup.

Dave Nonis, who worked with Burke with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks, is also expected to join the Leafs. He is still an assistant GM with the Ducks but has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave the team with 48 hours notice.

If Nonis, who was fired as Canucks GM earlier this year, chooses not to wait and try for another GM post around the league he could join Burke in Toronto.

Burke, the GM of the US men's 2010 hockey team, became the GM for the Vancouver Canucks in 1998. He was credited with reviving the franchise, and signing the Sedin twins.

After the 2003-2004 NHL season, Canucks ownership chose not to renew his contract.