swflyers28 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 It's not Burke's fault if the goalies can't stop the shots. He has some good players on the team. They just aren't producing except Kessel and Lupul when he was healthy. Losing Lupul late in the season didn't help. But when guys like Komisarek, Connolly and Phaneuf aren't what they used to be, you aren't going to go far in this league. Maybe Wilson really stinks as a coach. Some teams and coaches can make their teams produce, others can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down by the River Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Burke should never have hired Carlyle. I think that sunk the team. Carlyle is too similar to Wilson and it certainly seemed that players were not responding to Wilson. It makes sense that they have not responded to the direction Carlyle has taken. After a guy like Wilson, the Leafs needed a player's coach. A guy like Tippet or Bylsma or McLellan. Obviously those guys weren't available, but if there were any coaches in the AHL that fit that mould, I think they would have been a more suitable replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 The team that Burke has assembled is an absolute mess. Once the Kessel trade was completed, he pretty much sealed his fate. I thought that at the time and still believe that to be the case. To blame it simply on the goaltending is narrow minded. Sure, if they had an elite goaltender, then they might be a 7 or 8 seed team, but they certainly wouldn't be a contender. Yes, Kessel is an offensive threat, so him as a player was a good addition, but not for what they gave up to get him. Burke also made a good addition with Phaneuf. I don't like him personally, but that was a steal of a trade. The Lupul/Gardiner deal looks good right now, but I am no sold on Lupul, yet. He has played on 4 seperate teams for a reason; so until he strings together 3 straight solid seasons, I'm not sold yet. But defensively, they are an absolute mess; which is why with an elite goaltender they would be a 7 or 8 seed. Which brings me to Burke's tenure as a Maple Leaf GM. He will never admit it, but this team is really 5 years away from their "re-build" being complete, because of Burke's mis-step in the Kessel deal. Because Burke will never admit that they are that far away, a new GM is exactly what they need to basically say, "I would like to thank Brian for the pieces he was able to add that will be solid Leafs in the future. In my opinion, this team is, at best, 5 years away from having the pieces in place to start competing. We need to build through the draft and be very patient with our club. Most important, fans of this storied franchise will have to allow our young players the chance to grow in this rebuilding phase. It will be tough at times; but my goal is to draft and develop a core group of players within the next 5 years that will make the Toronto Maple Leafs a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for a considerable period of time, not a one and done team." That said, I hope the Leafs organization doesn't do the above and keeps Burke in place so he can lead this lame duck team further down the rabbit hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 You know who really upstaged Burke this year, and showed how to turn a floundering team around? Dale freaking Tallon. He took a team in supposedly worse shape, and molded it into a playoff team in one year. And he did so without depleting his picks and prospects. So not only are they in decent shape now, they have potential stars like Huberdeau, Gudbranson, and Bjugstad on the way - each of which are far superior to anything the Leafs have coming. People scratched their heads when he took on Campbell's contract, but that was a shrewd move. If you need an overpaid defenseman, I'll take Campbell over Phaneuf anyday. And he got him for practically nothing. Like I said before, Burke has done a decent job with what he had. But right now, Dale Tallon is the gold standard of how to properly rebuild a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Burke should never have hired Carlyle. I think that sunk the team. Carlyle is too similar to Wilson and it certainly seemed that players were not responding to Wilson. It makes sense that they have not responded to the direction Carlyle has taken. After a guy like Wilson, the Leafs needed a player's coach. A guy like Tippet or Bylsma or McLellan. Obviously those guys weren't available, but if there were any coaches in the AHL that fit that mould, I think they would have been a more suitable replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightHawkSniper Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 You know who really upstaged Burke this year, and showed how to turn a floundering team around? Dale freaking Tallon. He took a team in supposedly worse shape, and molded it into a playoff team in one year. And he did so without depleting his picks and prospects. So not only are they in decent shape now, they have potential stars like Huberdeau, Gudbranson, and Bjugstad on the way - each of which are far superior to anything the Leafs have coming. People scratched their heads when he took on Campbell's contract, but that was a shrewd move. If you need an overpaid defenseman, I'll take Campbell over Phaneuf anyday. And he got him for practically nothing. Like I said before, Burke has done a decent job with what he had. But right now, Dale Tallon is the gold standard of how to properly rebuild a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Doctor Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I am surprised in 4 years Burke has not put together a playoff team. He thinks that fast and agile players can win stanley cups. On the other hand with the solid pieces Burke and Nonis had with the extra bit of grit Gillis put together a stanley cup final team was made. You have to have a balance in speed, skill, and tuffness. That's the reason Burke does not have a playoff team. He lacks the skilled tuffness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockhart Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 When your "franchise players" are Phaneuf and Kessel.......... enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 When your "franchise players" are Phaneuf and Kessel.......... enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownUndaCanuck Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Its not Burke's fault the team plays superbly and chokes in the final month or two. That's all up to the coaching staff and players. We've seen what they can do, and that's all thanks to Burke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Light Racicot Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 A lot of this is just Burkes big mouth. 1. Signs Connolly instead of Richards, explaining he doesnt like front loaded contracts, he thinks they are wrong. NO ONE CARES about right or wrong, the fans want you to ice the most compettitive team possible. You are putting your team at a competitive disadvantage for no good reason and cheating the fans in the process. 2. Burke wants a pound of flesh because Cherry said something bad about his coach. A very public grievance. Burke fires his coach a few weeks later. 3. Burke talks about how the Leafs have a really tough time with all of these opposing teams coming in with Ontario born players, because they are playing the game of their lives in front of their family and friends. This begs the question: How many Ontario born players to you have on your team Burke? None?! 4. Then the latest error, explaining that his decision to fire Wilson was influenced by the fans. A couple weeks later, the "Fire Burke" chant begins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt kilgore Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Burke missed the boat. When he came in he appealed for patience, and then decided to not take his own advice with the Kessel trade. He should have realized that a Canadian city, that is knowledgeable of how a team is built, would give him the time to piece it together ie. Edmonton. I don't hear many calls for Tambellini's head on a platter despite the Oilers low place in the standings...because the fans understand that today's pain is tomorrow's gain. Burke had an even longer honeymoon than any other GM would have had and he still blew it. I could say that he's American and doesn't understand the Canadian hockey fan, but he can't use that excuse because he was in Vancouver for all those years. IF he had snagged the twins before they re-signed here, he'd have an excuse to go for it now, but when that deal fell through, his mistake was that he just couldn't let go of the lofty and selfish dream of being Toronto's hockey hero that took their team from worst to first in one or two years even if he had to use a patchwork of mediocre veterans and under-developed rookies to somehow miraculously do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Light Racicot Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Its not Burke's fault the team plays superbly and chokes in the final month or two. That's all up to the coaching staff and players. We've seen what they can do, and that's all thanks to Burke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 1. As if Richards was picking TO over NY. No big-name UFA has signed in TO for years. Perhaps the center of the universe has a lot of gravity to it. Weighs players down? (When WAS the last time they managed to sign a decent free agent anyway? Mogilny?) 2. imo Burke's hand was forced when he fired Wilson. New ownership, new accountability? 3. 'No Ontario players' factor is overblown, but perhaps point 1 applies. 4. "Lower ticket prices!" should be what they chant. (Along with all of us up here.) TOML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vancanfan Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 How long has Burke been the GM now? Long enough. I don't blame the fans for chanting, he has not done enough for the Leafs considering how long he has been there, in fact, I would grade him well below a grade he would be given when he was GM of the Canucks. He did more for the Canucks that continued into the future of the franchise than what he has done in Toronto, that seems like a clear cut conclusion for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck_trevor16 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 no number 1 center to build around no number 1 defenseman no number 1 goalie could have stamkos/Myes/Hodgson/Eberle Tarves, Seguin, Hamiton, and would be a stacked team if they have tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How can you do a rebuild when you trade away all your first round picks? Also, why bother trading for a good winger when the rest of your team sucks? It makes no sense gosh darn it. Although Phaneuf is way overrated, props to Burke for getting him out of Calgary for a bunch of plugs. I wouldn't touch any player out of Toronto if they paid me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuckin_futz Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Not making the playoffs is considered futility in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboose Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I find it kind of funny that you use the phrase 'in my mind' as if your thought process is the gold standard and you have a pic of Rat Boy Marchand as your avatar. Just Sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How is my mental capacity in any way correlated with my avatar on a forum might I ask "In my mind" would signify opinion, how does this at all pertain to me believing I think my thought process is the gold standard I might ask? The fact that you are up in arms over a picture demonstrates your low maturity level. I was considering new avatars, what do you think of this one? or perhaps this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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