You're wrong.

Burke has said multiple times that he'd still do the deal.
- burn

that's what he said

Read it carefully. He says he would do the trade again but he also clearly concedes that Boston and Chiarelli won the trade.
- spatso

.

that's what he said


.
- Doppleganger

I think your trying to change definitions in a way that revises meaning. Most people believe that Kessel has demonstrated he is a superb hockey player. It is okay to like Kessel but still hate the trade.

I think Burke conceded many times that he would not have done the Kessel deal if he had known the Leafs were going to be a draft lottery team the following year.

There may be some truth that the Kessel trade looks better now than it did after year 1 or year 2 or year 3 but have you forgotten how brutal and painful each of those years were? Do you forget the anguish of the Tyler vs Tyler draft where everyone was so keen to ridicule the Leafs? Would you like to go back and ever do that again?
- spatso

Guess again.

Your just plain wrong. On multiple occasions Burke has conceded he did not expect to be giving up a 2nd overall and a 9th overall.

NBC Sports is just one of many that have documented some of Burke's more sanguine reflections on the matter. Read it carefully. He says he would do the trade again but he also clearly concedes that Boston and Chiarelli won the trade.

You seem to have put yourself in the position of arguing something in support of Burke that he, himself, has not believed for a long time. I think it is time for you to let it go.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcs...on-the-phil-kessel-trade/
- spatso

What does that quote prove? He's not saying he wouldn't do the deal again. This is not what you claimed at all.

In that same article you've linked, Burke says he'd do the deal again. That headline by NBC is rather misleading. I don't think you read the full article much and concentrated on the title.


In the same article:

Of course, Burke goes on to admit he’d do the deal again in a heartbeat because of how good Kessel is

Had nothing to do with hockey.
- burn

hold on... you think the firing of an NHL gm had nothing to do with hockey?

hold on... you think the firing of an NHL gm had nothing to do with hockey?



- Crimsoninja

A lot of people feel the new ownership thought he was a huge A-Hole and not a good face for the organization.

A lot of people feel the new ownership thought he was a huge A-Hole and not a good face for the organization.
- RogerRoeper

tell me you think the firing had nothing to do with hockey

hold on... you think the firing of an NHL gm had nothing to do with hockey?



- Crimsoninja

probably didn't have all that much to do with it in this case

leafs upper management is a mess, always has been

A lot of people feel the new ownership thought he was a huge A-Hole and not a good face for the organization.
- RogerRoeper

Finishing in the bottom 10 , and spending cash like a drunken sailor.In the four years he was gm usually means its hockey related.

But trying to convince the BB fanboys that he didnt really build much ,other than a mid tiered playoff team that will be pushed up to the cap.Is something all together different

Oh for the love of god, I didn't realize I hadn't posted in here before. Might as well add another useless thread to "my threads" I guess.

probably didn't have all that much to do with it in this case

leafs upper management is a mess, always has been
- daeth

so if he had put together a winner, making deep runs into the postseason things wouldnt have turned out differently??

something tells me that an entire tenure without 1 playoff appearance might have played a part in his eventual dismissal. cmon

tell me you think the firing had nothing to do with hockey
- Crimsoninja

I think it did, but not as much as him being a jerk.

I'm not exactly pulling this out of the air. Even Spatso said this. And many top hockey journalists have said they did not like Burke.

Finishing in the bottom 10 , and spending cash like a drunken sailor.In the four years he was gm usually means its hockey related.

But trying to convince the BB fanboys that he didnt really build much ,other than a mid tiered playoff team that will be pushed up to the cap.Is something all together different

- top shelf 15

He built a solid up and coming team in the NHl that can be a contender this coming season.

And what cash did he blow exactly? He left the Leafs in a really great cap situation.

so if he had put together a winner, making deep runs into the postseason things wouldnt have turned out differently??

something tells me that an entire tenure without 1 playoff appearance might have played a part in his eventual dismissal. cmon
- Crimsoninja

Why should Burke's team have done better than they did? He was rebuilding. Why is it ok for any other GM but not him.

so if he had put together a winner, making deep runs into the postseason things wouldnt have turned out differently??

something tells me that an entire tenure without 1 playoff appearance might have played a part in his eventual dismissal. cmon
- Crimsoninja

it would have to be a factor to some degree, but just based off what the president said you really get the feeling that it was more about personality differences than anything else. burke's awful win loss record just made it a lot easier.

"“It was more about leadership style, and fit, and without getting into the specifics Brian is one of 23 people in the last 45 years to win a Stanley Cup, so he has a proven track record of success,"

that's from the team president. quotes like that were going around a lot at the time. normally you hear guys saying they need to go in a different hockey direction etc, but i dont think i heard that at all after burke was fired.

Why should Burke's team have done better than they did? He was rebuilding. Why is it ok for any other GM but not him.
- RogerRoeper

If Burke had simply said "we're rebuilding, this is going to be a 4-5 year process to make the playoffs" it would've been better. Given what he started with he did a fantastic job.

I've seen expansion teams with better rosters than the one Burke took over. At least expansion teams don't come with bad contracts.

If Burke had simply said "we're rebuilding, this is going to be a 4-5 year process to make the playoffs" it would've been better. Given what he started with he did a fantastic job.

I've seen expansion teams with better rosters than the one Burke took over. At least expansion teams don't come with bad contracts.
- daeth

I really don't listen or take seriously anything Burke says.

I really don't listen or take seriously anything Burke says.
- RogerRoeper

it's a good rule to live by

He built a solid up and coming team in the NHl that can be a contender this coming season.

And what cash did he blow exactly? He left the Leafs in a really great cap situation.
- RogerRoeper

Grabs,Komi,Liles,Connelly etc.Just three of those cost TMLSE millions in buyouts.

As far as the claim about being a contender ,the leafs have a great colllection of expensive allbeit tallented wingers.No first line center,a collection of so/so or unproven defenders {phaneuf excluded}.But are having trouble resigning two of his their better younger players due to cap trouble .

If Burke had simply said "we're rebuilding, this is going to be a 4-5 year process to make the playoffs" it would've been better. Given what he started with he did a fantastic job.

I've seen expansion teams with better rosters than the one Burke took over. At least expansion teams don't come with bad contracts.
- daeth

BB was good at giving out contracts ,too bad Mlse had to buy out most of them

Burke started with nothing and added Kessel, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, JVR, Rielly. He did a solid job in a relatively small amount of time.

BB was good at giving out contracts ,too bad Mlse had to buy out most of them

- top shelf 15

wasn't nonis the guy dealing with free agents the whole time? based on his clarkson signing it sure looks like it lol.

either way burke did more good than bad in toronto. nonis is a definite step down from burke i think, though obviously im willing to give him more time before i fully judge him.

BB has many tallents ,but building a team through the draft and making the small budget deals that dont tie up cap and roster space to younger blossoming players isnt one of them .

BB is a closer ,he has the guts to take a young rebuilt team that has a deep prospect pool and cash to burn on a cup run.Toronto needed a patient GM ,that built up his prospect pool and aquired smart short term veterans. To help brace the young tallent emerging from said pool.

BB dipped too early into the prospect pool ,and traded the meat, of what was supposed to be a complete teardown and rebuild .This isnt to say that Kessel isnt worth what Toronto gave up because Kessel is a spectacular winger .The timing of the trade however was really bad .Toronto,s roster lacked almost everything ,most rebuilding teams dont look to trade high picks for looking for a big raise goalscoring wingers.They do however look to make those deals on more crucial parts of the ice like top line centers or top pairing defenders.Which ironically is what Toronto gave up in potentialy Seguin and Hamiliton

Burke started with nothing and added Kessel, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, JVR, Rielly. He did a solid job in a relatively small amount of time.
- RogerRoeper

He gave up enough for him ,i dont hate BB i just think it should and could have been done far better than it was .He wanted to win far too fast ,now Toronto while the team is far better than what he started with .It still lacks in the most important areas that make a decent team great

Wtf

wasn't nonis the guy dealing with free agents the whole time? based on his clarkson signing it sure looks like it lol.

either way burke did more good than bad in toronto. nonis is a definite step down from burke i think, though obviously im willing to give him more time before i fully judge him.
- daeth

This is debateable ,i suppose if it where nonis handing out contracts then Toronto fans need to be concerned.But BB was just the wrong man for the Toronto job ,he lacks patience ,is a firey competitor and will do anything to win .When in reality Toronto needed to do everything in their power to lose ,and be ok with it knowing that the would be better in the long run for it