Burke gave Wilson his golden parachute for Christmas. If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs, Wilson will be let go and will still have the security of being paid for four more years. The biggest question when Wilson is let go, is who is available that is guaranteed to get better results? Randy Carlyle is a 50-50 bet, and most of the other options are crap shoots with little or no NHL coaching experience. Would Leaf fans be more accepting if Burke went to old Ballard trick of hiring a guy like Mike Nykoluk (sp?), or would we just cry foul at that too?
- mgerow

4 years....lol....I'm sure they just gave him an extra year.

WTF!!!!!!!!


Everyone leaves the room and doesn't tell me???

no point in firing wilson now.....let the ship go down as low as it can.
start fresh after the season is over.
eakins can go for the calder, with both he and carlyle available in the summer.

as for hodgson, burke has nothing remotely close to kassian-and yes, that includes the slow-footed schenn.

burke could have had several firsts for macarthur, grabovski, reimer, schenn......he must still believe he has the core to win it all.......i think many would disagree.
- Barx

First of all, MacArthur was only a conditional pick. The rest of them we have no guarantee that any of those picks would even replace those players or be any better.

Also, had we moved those players for picks, we would be forced to call up the younger kids who are currently playing for a winning team and furthering their development. We would have taken them out of development early, and introduced them to a losing environment. It would have been a bad, bad idea.

Would have likely set us back another 2-3 years.

WTF!!!!!!!!


Everyone leaves the room and doesn't tell me???



- faceto27

no.....

Burke gave Wilson his golden parachute for Christmas. If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs, Wilson will be let go and will still have the security of being paid for four more years. The biggest question when Wilson is let go, is who is available that is guaranteed to get better results? Randy Carlyle is a 50-50 bet, and most of the other options are crap shoots with little or no NHL coaching experience. Would Leaf fans be more accepting if Burke went to old Ballard trick of hiring a guy like Mike Nykoluk (sp?), or would we just cry foul at that too?
- mgerow

he was only extended for one season

burke should of said 15 year plan
thats how long it took Devellano when he came over from the islanders

What does it say about BB if he fires RW a few months after extending him. I think RW stays around to start next season and will have a short leash!

he was only extended for one season
- Dozzer

I think Carlyle would be a decent choice...however, if Wilson somehow gets this team into the playoffs, ill add one more year to him. (kinda one of those, if/when pigs fly type of thing)

What does it say about BB if he fires RW a few months after extending him. I think RW stays around to start next season and will have a short leash!
- Baxman

it says burke was smart enough to keep the media dogs off his coach while he tried to work

if this team bombs miserably.. i see an off season coaching change happening... if they fight their way into the playoffs... wilson stays

The only thing better then playoffs is a top pick. So keep Wilson for the rest of the year. Keep losing. Keep dropping in the standings. Keep the kids down on the farm and let them take a run at the Calder cup. Get rid of some of the plugs on this team and open spots for some kids next season. We are not that far away from where we want to be. Be patient this will turn around and we are on the right track.

I think Carlyle would be a decent choice...however, if Wilson somehow gets this team into the playoffs, ill add one more year to him. (kinda one of those, if/when pigs fly type of thing)
- noename09

they are four points out of the playoffs and four points out of the lottery.. we are officially at the tipping point

What does it say about BB if he fires RW a few months after extending him. I think RW stays around to start next season and will have a short leash!
- Baxman

they are four points out of the playoffs and four points out of the lottery.. we are officially at the tipping point
- Dozzer

Today is the first day I looked at the standings with the lottery pick in mind too....it's a sad state of affairs in Leaf land

burke should of said 15 year plan
thats how long it took Devellano when he came over from the islanders


- wingz4life

he said he wasnt interested in a five year plan

we all just foolishly assumed he meant less than five.. when in reality.. he meant more than five

they are four points out of the playoffs and four points out of the lottery.. we are officially at the tipping point
- Dozzer

could be worse,could be the jackets
havent even won 20 games

Today is the first day I looked at the standings with the lottery pick in mind too....it's a sad state of affairs in Leaf land
- Leafshammer

take solace that at least this time around the team is young

that to me is a very noteworthy difference

What does it say about BB if he fires RW a few months after extending him. I think RW stays around to start next season and will have a short leash!
- Baxman

No playoffs = guaranteed firing of burke in my opinion.
His contract even has the ability to be changed at the end of the year according to Dreger. I'm not sure if this means that they can hack that extra year off they gave him though.

could be worse,could be the jackets
havent even won 20 games

- wingz4life

unacceptable!

oh well...there's always next year

First of all, MacArthur was only a conditional pick. The rest of them we have no guarantee that any of those picks would even replace those players or be any better.

Also, had we moved those players for picks, we would be forced to call up the younger kids who are currently playing for a winning team and furthering their development. We would have taken them out of development early, and introduced them to a losing environment. It would have been a bad, bad idea.

Would have likely set us back another 2-3 years.
- noename09

wrong.

per dreger
Tor could have traded Schenn,Kulemin,MacArthur and Grabovski for 1st round picks

take solace that at least this time around the team is young

that to me is a very noteworthy difference
- Dozzer

Yes but cheering for losses is so morbid and backwards....I never want to be that person.

I dont think the leafs missed out. Cody hodgson has still not reached his full potential, he is still a ? and same goes with kassian. Schenn showed in the beginning of his career that he was one of the best defensive defensemen and in hits, now he is struggling though can still pick up his game and improve.

wrong.

per dreger
Tor could have traded Schenn,Kulemin,MacArthur and Grabovski for 1st round picks
- Barx

i think dregs is being a bit coy on that... there was prolly more to it.

Why do you assume that Hodgson was available to the Leafs - bad blood or no bad blood? Vancouver was looking for a very specific kind of player and last time I looked I didn't see any Kassians on our team or very close to making our team.

If anything, the right question is whether we missed out on Kassian. Vancouver paid a high price for the kid and I'm sure it would have cost way more if he was just heading up the QEW
- Canada Cup

good Point

wrong.

per dreger
Tor could have traded Schenn,Kulemin,MacArthur and Grabovski for 1st round picks
- Barx

thing is these were probably going to be low first round picks, most likely a contender was interested in picking up these guys

so think in the 20-30 range

First of all, MacArthur was only a conditional pick. The rest of them we have no guarantee that any of those picks would even replace those players or be any better.

Also, had we moved those players for picks, we would be forced to call up the younger kids who are currently playing for a winning team and furthering their development. We would have taken them out of development early, and introduced them to a losing environment. It would have been a bad, bad idea.

Would have likely set us back another 2-3 years.
- noename09

Very good post! You can't just trade all your roster players for picks. You still have to have some kind core in place. And slowly bring in the youth. If everything was just about acquiring picks then we shouldve moved kessel and phaneuf and came out of it with 4 first rounders and sucked for 6 more years. People fail to realize that our core is really young and hungry. They will continue to get better and stronger together, that's exactly what we need.