If this lockout lasts the whole season, then next year could be our LAST season with Kessel. I wouldn't blame him if he signs elsewher... the leafs are still a disaster.
And Seguin will be going into year three, and the guy touted last year as the highest rated defensive prospect in the world would be going into his rookie year.
I would 100% call that mortgaging our future.
If if if.Get back to me when Kessel leaves.
Give him a massive contract and he'll gladly re-sign.
With the possible exception of Gardiner... every single solitary team in the nhl is loaded with players exactly like those guys. Every single team. And their GM's aren't the highest paid in all of world history.
Only leafs fans would be proud of a bunch of 3rd line/4th pairing projected prospects.
Who cares what Burke makes? He was the biggest name available. It makes sense he got a big payday.
It doesn't count against the cap so who cares?
Should the NHl's richest team get a no name making the minimum for being GM?
If this lockout lasts the whole season, then we could see just ONE more season with Kessel. I wouldn't blame him if he signs elsewhere... the leafs are still a disaster.
And Seguin will be going into year three, and the guy touted last year as the highest rated defensive prospect in the world would be going into his rookie year.
Holmgren also developed those 3 guys from bottom-of-the-lineup players / prospects to valuable contributors.
It's easy to look back at players he successfully converted into great ones, but where's Jiri Tlusty? (side note, is he playing for Jagr's team in the Czech Republic??)
Rebuilding is what teams who have a terrible season should (and most often) do. There's obviously different ways to do it, Holmgren executed almost perfectly, Burke's been a complete disaster. 4 years in and we're still hoping for a playoff spot. Holmgren hasn't missed the playoffs since he took over, and made a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Obviously no cup so he doesn't get full marks, but that's a pretty solid track record.
Philadelphia was the worst or second worst team in hockey when Paul Holmgren took over, IIRC.
In ONE season. It's not like Philly was terrible for years or something. They had one terrible season. You think maybe it was a fluke? I'm not going to take anything away from Holmgren, but if you're gonna have this discussion at least try to keep it honest.
Although I will say this. He built an absolutely stellar team in LA
Last edited by The Apologist: 09-22-2012 at 02:08 AM.
Getting a 21 year-old who now finished 6th in league scoring is hardly "Mortgaging the future". Why try to make it sound like Kessel was a 33 year-old soon-to-be UFA? He's a superstar winger.
It's funny how often Kessel is downplayed in the Kessel deal.
I think Kessel is a great player. I think there's a chance he resigns, the Leafs can afford big $ but maybe he wants to play with a contender. If Burke makes no significant moves or the lockout lasts the entire year, Kessel might question the ability of the Leafs to contend for a playoff spot and decide to sign elsewhere. This is frequent with UFAs.
Someone wake me when it's proven Burke lost that trade.
But that's like Nashville fans saying;
"Someone prove to me we lost the Lebda trade. Gardiner could be crippled overnight, Lombardi could get another concussion, and out of nowhere... Lebda may put up 30 goals as a defenseman."
"It MIGHT happen. It's possible. So as of now, nobody's won the trade".
"Someone wake me when it's proven we lost that trade."
You have to admit... at some point it's just silly to cling to such trivialities.
But that's like Nashville fans saying;
"Someone prove to me we lost the Lebda trade. Gardiner could be crippled overnight, Lombardi could get another concussion, and out of nowhere... Lebda may put up 30 goals as a defenseman."
"It MIGHT happen. It's possible. So as of now, nobody's won the trade".
"Someone wake me when it's proven we lost that trade."
You have to admit... at some point it's just silly to cling to such trivialities.
Is it silly to repeatedly say "the highest paid GM in world history" when you have no idea what most GMs make? Still, you beat the drum ad nauseum.....
But that's like Nashville fans saying;
"Someone prove to me we lost the Lebda trade. Gardiner could be crippled overnight, Lombardi could get another concussion, and out of nowhere... Lebda may put up 30 goals as a defenseman."
"It MIGHT happen. It's possible. So as of now, nobody's won the trade".
"Someone wake me when it's proven we lost that trade."
You have to admit... at some point it's just silly to cling to such trivialities.
Gardiner wasn't part of the Lebda deal. I think you need to go find your head.
But that's like Nashville fans saying;
"Someone prove to me we lost the Lebda trade. Gardiner could be crippled overnight, Lombardi could get another concussion, and out of nowhere... Lebda may put up 30 goals as a defenseman."
"It MIGHT happen. It's possible. So as of now, nobody's won the trade".
"Someone wake me when it's proven we lost that trade."
You have to admit... at some point it's just silly to cling to such trivialities.
Another thing. How could the trade be such a humiliation when our 24 year old winger(yeay yeah i know he's pretty close to retiring by your standards) was just a top scorer in the "WHOLE WORLD"!
But that's like Nashville fans saying;
"Someone prove to me we lost the Lebda trade. Gardiner could be crippled overnight, Lombardi could get another concussion, and out of nowhere... Lebda may put up 30 goals as a defenseman."
"It MIGHT happen. It's possible. So as of now, nobody's won the trade".
"Someone wake me when it's proven we lost that trade."
You have to admit... at some point it's just silly to cling to such trivialities.
Foot meet mouth: Gardiner was in the Beauchemin deal. Franson was in the Lebda deal.
If you're going to brow beat using the same tired complaint (singular) and pronounce how you're so right and every counter opinion is so wrong...Could you at least get the specific elements of the deal you're citing correct, as a support for your rant ?
Foot meet mouth: Gardiner was in the Beauchemin deal. Franson was in the Lebda deal.
If you're going to brow beat using the same tired complaint (singular) and pronounce how you're so right and every counter opinion is so wrong...Could you at least get the specific elements of the deal you're citing correct, as a support for your rant ?
You're right.
I confused Gardiner and Franson on that trade.
I guess that proves that Burke is a genius of a GM.
You're comparing a GM who has almost 17 years of experience, to one that has almost 5 months.
One has over a 1000 games as a GM, one has 0.
You have to understand, this no longer the Leafs board.
Its the bash Burke board. The OP, IMO, is trying to bash Burke, by
saying a GM with 0 games is even better than he.
Marc Bergevin inherited a team near the bottom of the league and began his rebuild plan on utilizing the draft.
Burke inherited a team near the bottom of the league, and immediately traded away his next 2 X 1st round picks + more to fuel his rebuild, claiming "July 1st was his entry draft".
Bergevin took the patient approach of building through the entry draft, and Burke jumped in with both feet through trades and UFA signings to accelerate his rebuild based on lack of patience.
That is the major difference in team building philosophies between the two GMs in comparison here.
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Signature: There is no greater demonstration of Fan patience then to suggest to "Play the Kids " and be willing to accept the consequences of those actions..
