That Brian Burke is one smooth talker. And boy he likes to talk. Too bad he can't deliver on his many platitudes. He sure has got the excuse machine working on overtime this season. If you ask Burke about the the Leafs' collapse he can come up with lot of reasons. The media pressure, the market in general, the difficulty of the NHL, the fact that players are programmed at birth to hate the Maple Leafs. Burke has blamed a lot of people. By default he blamed Ron Wilson for part of the failure when he excused him. He blames Don Cherry. He blames Dave Feschuk for calling James Reimers mother. Just about everyone but the fans and yes the suits that pay his inflated salary.
Let's look back on what he promised the abused Leafs fans three years ago.
He said the team needed a culture change to eliminate the blue and white disease. Twenty-three new faces in the dressing room but same culture.
He said is this team needed to get tougher. Burke brings in soft players like Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, Clarke MacArthur, Matthew Lombardi and Tim Connolly. Colton Orr and Jay Rosehill are scratches for most of the season then demoted to the Marlies.
The top 6 forwards would be skill guys and the bottom 6 would be plumbers. Well he sort of got the skill guys in place though neither Bozak or Kulemin have proven themselves to be top 6 forwards. As for the plumbers - Connolly and Lombardi, more like dead weight.
He said he was going to build from the net out. Right now James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson don't look any different than Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph the two goalies he inherited. The only thing that is missing is the 185 foot goal bouncing over a goalie's shoulder.
Meanwhile not a single Burke draft pick is playing for the Leafs. Luke Schenn, Matt Frattin James Reimer and Carl Gunnarsson were drafted before Burke arrived. All others youngsters like Jake Gardner, Carter Ashton and Cody Franson came through trades.
I just don't see a plan. Move around draft picks. Try to make a splash with free agency but refuse to give out the long term contracts. Pick up bad contracts from other teams in exchange for some other assets and then burden your coach with underachievers. Impose your own trade deadlines. It's all bullshit.
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