He is certainly not a bottom 5 GM like most like to believe on here.
What I love about Burke is how he makes hf get all whiny and what not whenever Burke makes a comment
Oh and this is the place where Hockey Prospects >>> Actual NHL Players, although now Burke has kinda done both, he has traded away key future assets for help now, and has also traded assets that will help now for future assets, what is hf gonna do!?
The way I view the situation:
Burke talks and talks to the point where I find it to be very annoying. Tavares, Sedins, Shenn etc.
The leafs have been through three very poor seasons with him at the helm. As of now, the leafs roster (as in the guys playing on the team at this very moment) is very weak. Furthermore, for how long they have been rebuilding, their prospect system is not what it should be, especially considering the lack of bluechippers. Lastly, the team is built on the foundation of two extremely problematic players who exemplify a lot of negative characteristics (I would never want either of them on my team).
I think it is absurd how many leaf fans on here are not only satisfied with his work, but praise him like he's won them a cup.
Why should he be viewed as a top GM for his work here? It was epic fail after epic fail. And yes, why should he get a bunch of credit for winning the cup in Anaheim? Hell he said it himself Bryan Murray built most of that team.
I can't understand how Burke was an epic fail and Gillis is now that Canucks savior? Almost the whole core of players was brought in by Burke/Nonis, Edler, Luongo, Sedins, Kesler, Burrows. But somehow it was epic fail? It was Burke's fault somehow that the Sedins were later bloomers? I can understand how someone not to like him as the GM but epic fail?
Aside from the Kessel deal, he hasn't made that many bad moves as Toronto GM. People may not like Phaneuf but he barely gave up anything to get him.
His ''success'' in the past is overstated. He did a good enough job in Vancouver of building up a decent team....except for finding a goaltender. Dan Cloutier for 4 years, oops.
He inherited a gold mine in Anaheim and had the pieces to trade for Pronger. He definitely isn't a top 5 executive like some people think IMO.
lol
I guess in this scenario his success would be building the current Vancouver Canucks
The way I view the situation:
Burke talks and talks to the point where I find it to be very annoying. Tavares, Sedins, Shenn etc.
The leafs have been through three very poor seasons with him at the helm. As of now, the leafs roster (as in the guys playing on the team at this very moment) is very weak. Furthermore, for how long they have been rebuilding, their prospect system is not what it should be, especially considering the lack of bluechippers. Lastly, the team is built on the foundation of two extremely problematic players who exemplify a lot of negative characteristics (I would never want either of them on my team).
I think it is absurd how many leaf fans on here are not only satisfied with his work, but praise him like he's won them a cup.
1. They've been rebuilding for 2 years. Aka not that long to expect a contender unless you draft a franchise player like Crosby or Ovechkin or Stamkos.
2. Their team can't be as weak as you say it is considering they're one of the hottest teams in the east right now. I think you're selling them short.
3. Who are these 2 "extremely problematic players"?
Phaneuf isn't anything to brag about, he's getting by on his name. He's a mediocre top 4 defenseman who is overpaid. Nothing more.
Bozak, Aulie and Colborne are pieces nearly every team has.
Kadri, Schenn, Kessel are nice pieces but hardly enough to build around.
The Leafs have some solid pieces but you are overrating some.
Why? Just because you say so? You're arguing for the sake of arguing. I never once quantified how good any of the pieces I listed were. I simply said they are pieces we didn't have before and Burke got them.
Leafs were a terrible team with no future. Now Leafs are a below average team with a bright future. Whether or not you are ignorant enough to just discard the improvements is up to you.
1. They've been rebuilding for 2 years. Aka not that long to expect a contender unless you draft a franchise player like Crosby or Ovechkin or Stamkos.
2. Their team can't be as weak as you say it is considering they're one of the hottest teams in the east right now. I think you're selling them short.
3. Who are these 2 "extremely problematic players"?
I didn't say they should be a contender now. They should be trying to acquire the pieces and develop their youth with the hope they can be a championship contender in the future. Why have they not been playing their young goalies/Kadri/other prospects (or go after grabner) this season with the hope of developing youth instead of trying to win.
A team going on a good run does not necessarily make them a good team. Tons of terrible teams go on runs while tons of great teams also go on slumps. They just traded away three of their better players for only one roster player (who I dont think is as good as one of versteeg, kaberle or beauchemin). Teams tend to get worse when they trade away their better players and replace them with AHL'ers (unless they are problematic guys, which none of these three were). They are currently playing over their heads at this moment and will come back down to earth. Their record before the trades was helped a lot by those three guys as well.
I didn't say they should be a contender now. They should be trying to acquire the pieces and develop their youth with the hope they can be a championship contender in the future. Why have they not been playing their young goalies/Kadri/other prospects (or go after grabner) this season with the hope of developing youth instead of trying to win.
The AHL is the developmental league, not the NHL. Not surprisingly, thats where our prospects are...developing. As for acquiring peices for the future, this trade deadline we added 2 first round picks, Gardiner, Colbourne, likely a 2nd rounder and a 7th.
Your last sentence about not trying to win is stupid. Leafs don't have their first rounder, they have no driving force to tank (which I don't think any self respecting team should do). The Leafs are trying to build a winning culture, which is shown when the team shows up to play every night.
Quote:
A team going on a good run does not necessarily make them a good team. Tons of terrible teams go on runs while tons of great teams also go on slumps. They just traded away three of their better players for only one roster player (who I dont think is as good as one of versteeg, kaberle or beauchemin). Teams tend to get worse when they trade away their better players and replace them with AHL'ers (unless they are problematic guys, which none of these three were). They are currently playing over their heads at this moment and will come back down to earth. Their record before the trades was helped a lot by those three guys as well.
Phil and Dion...
This paragraph you say the exact opposite. You are chastising Toronto for making itself worse via trades. Yet you just said in your last paragraph thats what they should be doing. Try some perspective.
Burke certainly deserves all the credit in the world for getting the Sedins. I don't think any other GM could have pulled that off. But if the Canucks win the cup it's stupid to say most of the credit goes to Nonis/Burke. Those guys brought key pieces but could never put it all together. They were given time but they couldn't finish the job. Gillis has managed to build a real team without any weaknesses but with Nonis/Burke there was always glaring weaknesses. IF the Canucks manage to win the cup, Gillis should be given the most credit. However, I'll always be thankful to Burke for bringing in the Sedins. I like Burkie overall anyways.
He's intelligent, hard working, cuts through BS on a regular basis, attracts good people to work and play for him, is entertaining, and has won a Stanley Cup.
Any other questions?
And does great interviews! That covers it! Off to the hall of fame Burkie!!
Burke certainly deserves all the credit in the world for getting the Sedins. I don't think any other GM could have pulled that off. But if the Canucks win the cup it's stupid to say most of the credit goes to Nonis/Burke. Those guys brought key pieces but could never put it all together. They were given time but they couldn't finish the job. Gillis has managed to build a real team without any weaknesses but with Nonis/Burke there was always glaring weaknesses. IF the Canucks manage to win the cup, Gillis should be given the most credit. However, I'll always be thankful to Burke for bringing in the Sedins. I like Burkie overall anyways.
Gillis isn't operating under conditions where the league of extraordinary GM's (Holland, Lacroix, Armstrong, Sather) were doling out cash trying to outspend each other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Calhoun
What does that have to do with Burke? He inherited Naslund and Bertuzzi, genius.
Of course he did. Burke inherits and/or gets lucky with all the good pieces on his teams.
I guess that's why the Canucks were a juggernaut when Burke took over and garbage when he left.
Anyone remember the Fedorov deal to Columbus? That was a sensational trade for the Ducks I thought and the amount of salary he cleared in one deal was considerable.
