Brian Burke’s tenure as Toronto Maple Leafs’ general manager filled with highs and lows
In his two years as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ general manager, Brian Burke has made many key decisions, some good, some bad. But the Leafs’ GM, who is always quick with a comment or an
answer, has accomplished quite a bit during these two years.
Burke inherited a struggling team from interim general manager Cliff Fletcher. The Leafs had failed to make the playoffs in the years leading up to the Burke’s hiring, and they have continued
to finish well out of the post-season after he took over. Some hockey experts say that this is part of the often lengthy rebuilding process, but the fans want to see results sooner than later.
“Rebuilding this team is not going to be easy,” Burke stated in his first news conference as the Leafs’ general manager. “Changing the general manager doesn’t change the team. It is going
to take some time and some patience.”
The
Montreal Gazette reports that since taking control of the Leafs, the team has posted a 65-75-24 record under Burke. The team is floundering near the bottom of the National Hockey League standings once again, which has many fans calling for his head. However,
it can often take years to rebuild a team from scratch.
Some of the highlights of Burke’s two years as Leafs’ GM include several blockbuster trades. Among the most memorable was the trade that brought right-winger Phil Kessel to Toronto from
the Boston Bruins. In return, the Bruins received a pair of first-round draft picks, along with a second-round pick. Boston used one of the first-round picks to select centre Tyler Seguin second overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
When Burke acquired Kessel, he believed that Kessel would help his team get back into the play-offs. However, that did not happen, as the Leafs finished 29th overall in the league standings
that season. Kessel has shown some flashes of brilliance, as he notched 36 goals last season. The experts say that he is currently on pace to match that total this season.
Another area that has been brought into question is the team’s lack of offense. Burke responded to that by signing Clarke MacArthur and trading for Kris Versteeg. MacArthur is currently
the team’s scoring leader, having put up 18 points thus far. Versteeg is not too far behind, as he has scored 12 points. Kessel has put up 14 points thus far, 10 of which have been goals. Beyond those three players, the scoring has been relatively non-existent.
There is still a lot for Burke to work on regarding the Leafs. It will be a long process that will require lots of time and patience, but Burke is in it for the long run.
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