The Brian Burke Thread

[GhostofPotvin29]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

1) He plays in the division that has consistently been the worst in the NHL
2) The Panthers were so far below the cap that they needed to buy a roster
3) They didn't add elite players, they added a bunch of 2nd/3rd liners and paid them like 1st/2nd liners
4) They are tied for the 16th best record in the NHL, hardly a ringing endorsement of what you can accomplish with free agency team building.

They're barely leading the consensus worst division in hockey (some analysts say worst division ever) and are doing it on the back of a whole lot of OT/SO points (sometimes people here call it the 'loser' point, but I don't).

Florida and Toronto both have 27 ROW, and our GF/GA differential is -8 to their -21.  But apparently that means we suck and they're some shining light because they've managed to lose in OT/SO more than we have.

I don't think they are some shining light in anything. But in their first year of rebuild under Talon they have a great chance of making the play offs. Leafs in first year of rebuild by Burke finished cool 29th.

Your said earlier on this site was that in 1 year Tallon has made Florida a very good team while the Leafs are awful.  There's not a whole lot separating the two clubs, even after the Leafs went into free-fall mode.

 

[Zee]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

Is it a team built for long term success? 

Is ours? We may be 13th in the conference by the end of tonight.

Sure we're bad right now but I think long term we'll be better.  This is still a young team.  Besides the goalies I like the makeup.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

1) He plays in the division that has consistently been the worst in the NHL
2) The Panthers were so far below the cap that they needed to buy a roster
3) They didn't add elite players, they added a bunch of 2nd/3rd liners and paid them like 1st/2nd liners
4) They are tied for the 16th best record in the NHL, hardly a ringing endorsement of what you can accomplish with free agency team building.

They're barely leading the consensus worst division in hockey (some analysts say worst division ever) and are doing it on the back of a whole lot of OT/SO points (sometimes people here call it the 'loser' point, but I don't).

Florida and Toronto both have 27 ROW, and our GF/GA differential is -8 to their -21.  But apparently that means we suck and they're some shining light because they've managed to lose in OT/SO more than we have.

I don't think they are some shining light in anything. But in their first year of rebuild under Talon they have a great chance of making the play offs. Leafs in first year of rebuild by Burke finished cool 29th.

Your said earlier on this site was that in 1 year Tallon has made Florida a very good team while the Leafs are awful.  There's not a whole lot separating the two clubs, even after the Leafs went into free-fall mode.

Very good team was kinda stretching it I admit it. I just thought we would be further along in year 3 of our retool then the scraps Talon can put together in 1 summer.

 

[Zee]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

1) He plays in the division that has consistently been the worst in the NHL
2) The Panthers were so far below the cap that they needed to buy a roster
3) They didn't add elite players, they added a bunch of 2nd/3rd liners and paid them like 1st/2nd liners
4) They are tied for the 16th best record in the NHL, hardly a ringing endorsement of what you can accomplish with free agency team building.

They're barely leading the consensus worst division in hockey (some analysts say worst division ever) and are doing it on the back of a whole lot of OT/SO points (sometimes people here call it the 'loser' point, but I don't).

Florida and Toronto both have 27 ROW, and our GF/GA differential is -8 to their -21.  But apparently that means we suck and they're some shining light because they've managed to lose in OT/SO more than we have.

I don't think they are some shining light in anything. But in their first year of rebuild under Talon they have a great chance of making the play offs. Leafs in first year of rebuild by Burke finished cool 29th.

Your said earlier on this site was that in 1 year Tallon has made Florida a very good team while the Leafs are awful.  There's not a whole lot separating the two clubs, even after the Leafs went into free-fall mode.

Very good team was kinda stretching it I admit it. I just thought we would be further along in year 3 of our retool then the scraps Talon can put together in 1 summer.

Florida is a bit older though, not like they putting together a core group of guys 25 and under who are competing right now.  A bunch of their forwards and D are north of 28.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I think they've just got rather fortunate this season the way it has played out thus far.  They could still easily miss the playoffs - any 2 of Winnipeg, Washington and Tampa could take the 3rd spot and overtake them for 8th.

 

[Zee]

I think they've just got rather fortunate this season the way it has played out thus far.  They could still easily miss the playoffs - any 2 of Winnipeg, Washington and Tampa could take the 3rd spot and overtake them for 8th.

It's really a shame the way the Leafs have gone into free fall.  The east has been so bad this year that any sort of consistency from the Leafs after Feb 6th (the 6-3 win over the Oilers) and we'd comfortably be in a playoff spot.    I mean as of Feb 7th we were 1 point ahead of Ottawa, now look.

Holy crap we've won TWO games since Feb 6th.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I think they've just got rather fortunate this season the way it has played out thus far.  They could still easily miss the playoffs - any 2 of Winnipeg, Washington and Tampa could take the 3rd spot and overtake them for 8th.

It's really a shame the way the Leafs have gone into free fall.  The east has been so bad this year that any sort of consistency from the Leafs after Feb 6th (the 6-3 win over the Oilers) and we'd comfortably be in a playoff spot.    I mean as of Feb 7th we were 1 point ahead of Ottawa, now look.

Yep, I was feeling rather confident around then, and then we all know what happened.

 

[L K]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

1) He plays in the division that has consistently been the worst in the NHL
2) The Panthers were so far below the cap that they needed to buy a roster
3) They didn't add elite players, they added a bunch of 2nd/3rd liners and paid them like 1st/2nd liners
4) They are tied for the 16th best record in the NHL, hardly a ringing endorsement of what you can accomplish with free agency team building.

They're barely leading the consensus worst division in hockey (some analysts say worst division ever) and are doing it on the back of a whole lot of OT/SO points (sometimes people here call it the 'loser' point, but I don't).

Florida and Toronto both have 27 ROW, and our GF/GA differential is -8 to their -21.  But apparently that means we suck and they're some shining light because they've managed to lose in OT/SO more than we have.

I don't think they are some shining light in anything. But in their first year of rebuild under Talon they have a great chance of making the play offs. Leafs in first year of rebuild by Burke finished cool 29th.

Your said earlier on this site was that in 1 year Tallon has made Florida a very good team while the Leafs are awful.  There's not a whole lot separating the two clubs, even after the Leafs went into free-fall mode.

Very good team was kinda stretching it I admit it. I just thought we would be further along in year 3 of our retool then the scraps Talon can put together in 1 summer.

I think it's pretty clear that Burke screwed up thinking he could just retool to the roster.  But his actions the past two years have really been more about rebuilding than retooling in general.  He stopped trading away draft picks after the Kessel deal (that just burned the team pretty bad) but he dealt Beauchemin for youth (and even Lupul was a guy who could be around for a while).  He dealt Versteeg for more youth (although I think he gave up too early).  Kaberle was traded for youth. 

Some of it might have just been the bad UFA markets, but Burke really stopped simply "going for it" after the first year+offseason when he spent money on guys like Komisarek.

The problem with "rebuilding" from the standpoint of trading all of the older players on the team is that the older guys on the team Armstrong/Komisarek/Lombardi/Brown is that they aren't worth anything on the trade market.

I just hope Burke doesn't come out and call July 1st his "trade deadline" again.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

The sad thing is, looking at the current free agent list, it seems it's harder and harder to be able to just sign big name free agents in the summer to plug holes.  Gone are the days when the Leafs could go out and sign Cujo and Roberts and ice a competitive team with an all star goalie.  Teams are locking up their own assets to long terms and you have to build from within or through trades.  I don't see how Burke can improve upon this bunch in the summer.

Then how was Dave Talon able to do it in Florida in 1 year?

1) He plays in the division that has consistently been the worst in the NHL
2) The Panthers were so far below the cap that they needed to buy a roster
3) They didn't add elite players, they added a bunch of 2nd/3rd liners and paid them like 1st/2nd liners
4) They are tied for the 16th best record in the NHL, hardly a ringing endorsement of what you can accomplish with free agency team building.

They're barely leading the consensus worst division in hockey (some analysts say worst division ever) and are doing it on the back of a whole lot of OT/SO points (sometimes people here call it the 'loser' point, but I don't).

Florida and Toronto both have 27 ROW, and our GF/GA differential is -8 to their -21.  But apparently that means we suck and they're some shining light because they've managed to lose in OT/SO more than we have.

I don't think they are some shining light in anything. But in their first year of rebuild under Talon they have a great chance of making the play offs. Leafs in first year of rebuild by Burke finished cool 29th.

Your said earlier on this site was that in 1 year Tallon has made Florida a very good team while the Leafs are awful.  There's not a whole lot separating the two clubs, even after the Leafs went into free-fall mode.

Very good team was kinda stretching it I admit it. I just thought we would be further along in year 3 of our retool then the scraps Talon can put together in 1 summer.

Florida is a bit older though, not like they putting together a core group of guys 25 and under who are competing right now.  A bunch of their forwards and D are north of 28.

Talon's 2 moves really stand out in his favor over Burke's in my opinion. First of all he brought in a veteran goaltender in Jose Theodore something Burke should have absolutely done at the start of this season (not necessarily Theodore, just a veteran). Second of all Talon's high priced defenceman, Campbell, that he acquired is outplaying both Captian Peanut and Komisarek. Rest is a toss.

 

[Zee]

I think they've just got rather fortunate this season the way it has played out thus far.  They could still easily miss the playoffs - any 2 of Winnipeg, Washington and Tampa could take the 3rd spot and overtake them for 8th.

It's really a shame the way the Leafs have gone into free fall.  The east has been so bad this year that any sort of consistency from the Leafs after Feb 6th (the 6-3 win over the Oilers) and we'd comfortably be in a playoff spot.    I mean as of Feb 7th we were 1 point ahead of Ottawa, now look.

Yep, I was feeling rather confident around then, and then we all know what happened.

Yeah it's funny everyone was on board then.  The papers were writing articles about how the Leafs didn't need to make any major roster changes, the team just needed some tinkering.  Burke came out and said he'd be looking to add at the deadline if he could for a good playoff run.  It was pretty much a home and cooled away team.  I mean 2-10-1 is ridiculously bad.  Even if the Leafs had played .500 and gone something like 5-6-2 we'd be in right now.

 

[Fanatic]

TORONTO - Is Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke cracking under the pressure that is big time hockey in Toronto?

His latest tirade has a number of people wondering.

Perhaps when Burke described the trade deadline as ?murder? he wasn?t referring as much to the players as to himself.

Maybe the whole weight of that job has become too much for him ? to a point where he actually suggested creating his own trade deadline 10 days before the one the league uses.

For a man who rails against other GMs for overpaying players, imagine giving 20-goal scorer Mikhail Grabovski a five-year, $27.5-million deal with a team that looks like it will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

What kind of money would he have been paid had he ever scored a playoff goal? Grabovski has never played in a playoff game. In four full seasons in the league the likable forward has 82 goals.

?Burke will join us and tell us if his mind has come back because he lost it earlier today while signing Mikhail Grabovski to a $27-million contract. Are you kidding me?? Bob McCown of Sportsnet The FAN 590 said at the beginning of Prime Time Sports Tuesday evening.

But Burke did not show.

Earlier in the day an agitated Burke was on Moore in the Morning with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 and it did not go well.

When Moore asked him if ?it was time for the general manager to be changed? Burke blew his stack.


more here

 

[Corn Flake]

I have to agree with Nik, I didn't think the question was unwarranted or "gutless" as Burke suggested.  Also what's with the idea that the interviewer had to let Burke know ahead of time he might ask about job security?  All Burke had to say was it's up to the owners and as far as I know they're confident in what we're doing here.  He basically did answer in that way but then went on his rant about how it was an unfair question to be asked.

There are at least 100 different ways to ask that question without approaching it with that particular level of assholery to get a more reasonable response.  Maybe its more enhanced communication skills that are needed to be able to express an uncomfortable question in a way that doesn't upset the person or make them feel cornered. 

Most people understand when you are going to poke the bear with your phrasing of a question and this guy knew exactly what he was doing when he asked it the way he did. 

 

[cw]

TORONTO - Is Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke cracking under the pressure that is big time hockey in Toronto?

His latest tirade has a number of people wondering.

Perhaps when Burke described the trade deadline as ?murder? he wasn?t referring as much to the players as to himself.

Maybe the whole weight of that job has become too much for him ? to a point where he actually suggested creating his own trade deadline 10 days before the one the league uses.

For a man who rails against other GMs for overpaying players, imagine giving 20-goal scorer Mikhail Grabovski a five-year, $27.5-million deal with a team that looks like it will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

What kind of money would he have been paid had he ever scored a playoff goal? Grabovski has never played in a playoff game. In four full seasons in the league the likable forward has 82 goals.

?Burke will join us and tell us if his mind has come back because he lost it earlier today while signing Mikhail Grabovski to a $27-million contract. Are you kidding me?? Bob McCown of Sportsnet The FAN 590 said at the beginning of Prime Time Sports Tuesday evening.

But Burke did not show.

Earlier in the day an agitated Burke was on Moore in the Morning with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 and it did not go well.

When Moore asked him if ?it was time for the general manager to be changed? Burke blew his stack.


more here

I don't think it's a very good article - kind of typical Toronto Sun

 

[Zee]

TORONTO - Is Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke cracking under the pressure that is big time hockey in Toronto?

His latest tirade has a number of people wondering.

Perhaps when Burke described the trade deadline as “murder” he wasn’t referring as much to the players as to himself.

Maybe the whole weight of that job has become too much for him — to a point where he actually suggested creating his own trade deadline 10 days before the one the league uses.

For a man who rails against other GMs for overpaying players, imagine giving 20-goal scorer Mikhail Grabovski a five-year, $27.5-million deal with a team that looks like it will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

What kind of money would he have been paid had he ever scored a playoff goal? Grabovski has never played in a playoff game. In four full seasons in the league the likable forward has 82 goals.

“Burke will join us and tell us if his mind has come back because he lost it earlier today while signing Mikhail Grabovski to a $27-million contract. Are you kidding me?” Bob McCown of Sportsnet The FAN 590 said at the beginning of Prime Time Sports Tuesday evening.

But Burke did not show.

Earlier in the day an agitated Burke was on Moore in the Morning with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 and it did not go well.

When Moore asked him if “it was time for the general manager to be changed” Burke blew his stack.


more here

Funny I was asking the same thing yesterday, seems like Burke is starting to lose it.



[QUOTE author=cw]
I don't think it's a very good article - kind of typical Toronto Sun[/QUOTE]

You may not like the style or tone of the article but he raises some interesting points.  Why is Burke starting to go off on reporters?  The team is playing like crap, he has to expect the backlash.  Why would he also blow off the interview on the FAN590 yesterday?  I don't like his sudden behavior, he's the architect of this team, for better or worse he needs to be there to answer the tough questions without losing his cool.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I don't think it's a very good article - kind of typical Toronto Sun

I agree, seems like a hit piece to me.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Why would he also blow off the interview on the FAN590 yesterday?

I don't think he did, the guy said good day, the only thing he blew off was saying goodbye or good day back. It was over.

 

[cw]

TORONTO - Is Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke cracking under the pressure that is big time hockey in Toronto?

His latest tirade has a number of people wondering.

Perhaps when Burke described the trade deadline as ?murder? he wasn?t referring as much to the players as to himself.

Maybe the whole weight of that job has become too much for him ? to a point where he actually suggested creating his own trade deadline 10 days before the one the league uses.

For a man who rails against other GMs for overpaying players, imagine giving 20-goal scorer Mikhail Grabovski a five-year, $27.5-million deal with a team that looks like it will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

What kind of money would he have been paid had he ever scored a playoff goal? Grabovski has never played in a playoff game. In four full seasons in the league the likable forward has 82 goals.

?Burke will join us and tell us if his mind has come back because he lost it earlier today while signing Mikhail Grabovski to a $27-million contract. Are you kidding me?? Bob McCown of Sportsnet The FAN 590 said at the beginning of Prime Time Sports Tuesday evening.

But Burke did not show.

Earlier in the day an agitated Burke was on Moore in the Morning with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 and it did not go well.

When Moore asked him if ?it was time for the general manager to be changed? Burke blew his stack.


more here

Funny I was asking the same thing yesterday, seems like Burke is starting to lose it.



[QUOTE author=cw]
I don't think it's a very good article - kind of typical Toronto Sun

You may not like the style or tone of the article but he raises some interesting points.  Why is Burke starting to go off on reporters?  The team is playing like crap, he has to expect the backlash.  Why would he also blow off the interview on the FAN590 yesterday?  I don't like his sudden behavior, he's the architect of this team, for better or worse he needs to be there to answer the tough questions without losing his cool.
[/quote]

Burke's always gone off on reporters. Look at his history in Vancouver. I don't think this is anything truly new.

Now with Wilson gone, the heat will turn up on Burke and that's already started.

Burke does plenty of media interviews. I don't think that will be an issue. Come April, he knows he'll have to hold court to explain their season, etc.

The honeymoon is over.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Brian Burke in 'acting like Brian Burke' shocker.

 

[Zee]

Why would he also blow off the interview on the FAN590 yesterday?

I don't think he did, the guy said good day, the only thing he blew off was saying goodbye or good day back. It was over.

No, not that interview with John Moore, he was supposed to appear on Bob McCowan's show later in the afternoon but was a no-show.

 

[Corn Flake]

Brian Burke in 'acting like Brian Burke' shocker.

Yeah, really. Mind. Blown.