by Spector

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His current contract with the Ducks expires after this season, and he and the team ownership reached an amicable decision to part ways after Burke told them he wouldn't sign a contract extension, citing family reasons.

Burke downplayed the speculation about his future, noting for now he'd remain with the Ducks as a senior advisor. But in a week's time, he'll be free to entertain offers from other teams.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are considered the front-runners for Burke's services. For months the media have linked him with the Maple Leafs and while he's denied the rumors, it hasn't stopped the Toronto press from all but anointing him Leafs' president and general manager.

Burke was able to avoid the harshness of the media spotlight in Anaheim when he was building the Ducks into a Stanley Cup champion, and was no stranger to it earlier in the decade when he was general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

That, however, would pale to the attention he'd receive in Toronto were he to accept the job of Leafs general manager. The denizens of "Leafs Nation" have been starving for a championship for over four decades and the pressure to bring the Stanley Cup to hockey's biggest market would be intense.

But if anyone is capable of handling that pressure it's the brashly confident Burke, who delights in sparring with the media and never met a spotlight or a microphone he didn't like.

Still, one shouldn't automatically assume that Toronto will be his next destination.

Having rebuilt the Canucks into a playoff contender earlier this decade and turned a once-moribund Ducks franchise into a Stanley Cup champion, Burke is now in the position where he can choose where he wants to go.

A savvy general manager with a Cup on his resume will be in high demand and the Leafs will be in a bidding war for Burke.

One of the other teams could be in contention are the Chicago Blackhawks as they've undergone significant changes in the front office and behind the bench over the past year. GM Dale Tallon was hired by the previous regime and there's been talk he could be shown the door.

But it doesn't appear that Burke could seek employment with another Western Conference team, as family matters — his wife and two children live in Toronto and four grown children from a previous marriage live near Boston — are expected to be factors in determining his next destination.

The Toronto Globe and Mail reported on the possibility of either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers having interest in Burke. It's been suggested he could work with current Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli as team president or take over as Rangers general manager if Glen Sather were to be promoted into a senior role.

Other teams considered potential candidates include the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, but those clubs are likely to be long shots to land him.

Interested teams now have a week to put together offers for Burke which will only ensure he'll be the subject of considerable media speculation in the coming days.