Brian Burke - 2012 NHL draft scenario

[Polo]

Originally Posted by Kulemon

I don't know. Burke has emphasized character with players he drafts. Morgan Rielly topped all his staff's psych evaluations and was determined to have the best character with the combination of a high skill level and ceiling. Yakupov is also a small winger and Russian. Not exactly what the leafs need. I said before the draft if we were going to move up for anyone it's Galchenyuk. I don't think Yakupov was ever Burke's target.

It might be time to stop listening to what Burke says. I really dont think one thing he spouts off ever ends up being true.

[Izzy Mandelbaum]

Noone is dumb enough to not take Yak.

[Rinzler]

So where's the thread about Bergevin selecting Yak if he was available instead of Galchenyuk?

The anti Burke bias in here is ridiculous sometimes.

Anyway as others have mentioned, scouts have stated that it is very much possible that Rielly and Galchenyuk would have been contenders for #1 overall if not for their injuries.

Fact is all things being equal #1 Centers (Galchenyuk) and #1 Offensive Puck carrying dmen (Rielly) are worth more than #1 Wingers (Yakupov) anyway so why is this so implausible?

So, perhaps Burke would have chosen Rielly if he had 1st overall. The injuries really makes this a debate, not the actual player skill.

[Kikizaz]

Originally Posted by Rinzler

So where's the thread about Bergevin selecting Yak if he was available instead of Galchenyuk?

The anti Burke bias in here is ridiculous sometimes.

Anyway as others have mentioned, scouts have stated that it is very much possible that Rielly and Galchenyuk would have been contenders for #1 overall if not for their injuries.

Fact is all things being equal #1 Centers (Galchenyuk) and #1 Offensive Puck carrying dmen (Rielly) are worth more than #1 Wingers (Yakupov) anyway so why is this so implausible?

So, perhaps Burke would have chosen Rielly if he had 1st overall. The injuries really makes this a debate, not the actual player skill.

There is an interview with Trevor Timmins, the Montreal head scout, where he says that he could realistically see 8 different players going first overall. We, habs fans, know that the Montreal list went 1. Galchenyuk 2. Terravainen. Its not inconceivable that Rielly was actually Toronto's #1 choice.

[thrillhouse99]

Honestly Burke could have drafted an off the board high school player from Quebec in the first round and claimed he was the best player in the draft.

I like Burke but you need to take his statements with a grain of salt.

[Stansfield*]

Originally Posted by thrillhouse99

Honestly Burke could have drafted an off the board high school player from Quebec in the first round and claimed he was the best player in the draft.

I like Burke but you need to take his statements with a grain of salt.

Thank you. Burke said he wasn't coming to Toronto too, look how that turned out. He was using the media to create interest in Rielly for us Leaf fans. Rielly could very well end up the best player from his draft, but you draft BPA every time with no exceptions, and BPA was Yak.

[Endersoldier]

Edit: Forget what I wrote before. The real reason he took Rielly was because the head scout accidently wrote his own comments of Jankowski's performances on Rielly's profile. Notice how Burke was talking about how he got the best player in the draft? Yeah, epic screw up on their part.

[vanwest]

He'd go with the concensus number one Yakupov. He's not the first GM to pretend that he got his guy all along.

[y2kcanucks]

Originally Posted by weak5holeguy

I honestly think he still drafts Reilly, Has burke ever drafted a Russian in his career?

Kirill Koltsov, Fedor Fedorov, Sergei Topol immediately come to mind.

[BigMacJokinen]

More interesting question, would Feaster take Jankowski or Yakupov

[Endersoldier]

Originally Posted by BigMacJokinen

More interesting question, would Feaster take Jankowski or Yakupov

Clearly Jankowski. The only, ONLY, question that should ever be asked about the 2012 draft is: what in god's name were the 18 teams ahead of Calgary thinking?

[mooseOAK*]

Trades down for a 2nd rounder, takes Rielly.

[Takashi]

I know It's yakupov, but still voted rielly