Burke Fired

[Zee]

We need a young up and coming exec, in the Alex Anthopolous mold.  I have no idea who that is, maybe it's Nonis?  If he's canned in 2.6 years well then, I guess not.  :-\

As Justin pointed out, we tried that and ended up with JFJ.  Remember that the 2nd choice was Steve Tambellini ... so either way, that approach back then was going to fail. Maybe if the Leafs had ended up with Fred Shero or Peter Chiarelli things would have been different... the up and coming star GM's who actually have had success.

I think Nonis could be that guy though. I think he brings a balance of experience but also hasn't truly had his chance to run a team long enough to show he can do it.  He helped get Van to the next level and Gillis gets most of the credit for that.

This is what I meant,  a young guy who's actually good.  I know it's difficult to determine that, but Nonis has had SOME experience and has shown he's a patient builder who can get results.  I think if a guy like that is left alone to work for YEARS, he can turn a team into something.  Every time you stop and start and get a new GM into the mix, they feel like that have to "make their mark" with some bold move.  Hopefully Nonis continues on a slow path, the Leafs have started to acquire younger players,  and not for the big "homerun" type deal anymore.  I know things look bleak now, but the team does have some young talent down on the Marlies, if a few of those guys can develop, and we manage to draft well this team could be somewhere soon.

 

[Corn Flake]

I always thought that Tannenbaum backed Quinn.  I thought that Peddie was the TPP's guy, and that one of the reasons that Quinn was pushed out was because he had too much pull with Tannenbaum.  I remember something like that coming up when JFJ was hired.  One of the reasons they went with him over Bob Nicholson or Steve Tambellini was because he had no ties to Quinn.  That and JFJ scored high on an IQ test.

Memory is hazy and there was such a mish mash of changes and ownership movement there that I don't recall the exact order of things.  Stavro pushed Fletcher out and brought in Dryden.. Dryden was pushed out by Quinn and maybe Tannenbaum?  Then Quinn was pushed out but I don't know if Peddie could have made that happen on his own. He didn't run the board, but he did hire JFJ.  IQ test....  : Oh god.  There was a 4th name on that list of finalists too, and I just can't recall who it was... argh.. I think it was the best of the bunch.

Yeah, I think Nonis is probably on a short leash as well because of his ties to Burke.  I hope he is smart enough to get the Leafs out of this "almost there" cycle that they seem to be stuck in.  My concern is that I don't want the Leafs to just make the playoffs.  I want them to build a team and an organization that sets a standard.  I want them to be the model of consistency, and I want them to push to be the best team in the NHL.  With their current core, I don't think they can do that.  I think they need a couple of seasons more drafting near the bottom in order to get there, but I don't think Nonis has that kind of time.

I think there is more there than you think, especially in the system.  It's growing too, not shrinking..  you see it when the high draft picks are emerging as legit and time being taken to develop them , and then later picks like Josh Leivo are looking really, really good. 

But yeah the only hope of a true stud right now is Rielly, with a chance that Gardiner could settle into that role too.  I'd like to see the forward version of that as well and although McKinnion is the name right now I'm not sure he's the guy even if we could pick him. 

I do think in one bold trade or luck on the UFA market might bring that player in by next fall though. 

 

[Redleaf]

I think Burke summed it up himself (in a prior interview).  "This job is a highwire act without a net".

Someone on Sportsnet just mentioned Nonis got a 3 year extension for taking the job.

Nonis actually corrected Maclean and said he had already received that extension a while back. Regardless, he has 3 years left as GM on his current contract.

 

[rdowdall]

I think there is more there than you think, especially in the system.  It's growing too, not shrinking..  you see it when the high draft picks are emerging as legit and time being taken to develop them , and then later picks like Josh Leivo are looking really, really good. 

But yeah the only hope of a true stud right now is Rielly, with a chance that Gardiner could settle into that role too.  I'd like to see the forward version of that as well and although McKinnion is the name right now I'm not sure he's the guy even if we could pick him. 

I do think in one bold trade or luck on the UFA market might bring that player in by next fall though.

There may be.  I do tend to err on the side of pessimism.  I don't think I can be blamed for that though given the last 7 years.

I do think the Leafs need someone to build around up front.  I think they have some real good pieces on defence, and that portion of the team should be pretty solid in a couple of years, if everything pans out the way that they hope it will.  Their forwards though seem to be lacking a little.  Even if the forward prospects pan out the way that they should, they don't really have that all that much at the centre position.  That's why I hope that Nonis is as smart as people say he is and that he can figure out a way to turn that around.

 

[Zee]

I think there is more there than you think, especially in the system.  It's growing too, not shrinking..  you see it when the high draft picks are emerging as legit and time being taken to develop them , and then later picks like Josh Leivo are looking really, really good. 

But yeah the only hope of a true stud right now is Rielly, with a chance that Gardiner could settle into that role too.  I'd like to see the forward version of that as well and although McKinnion is the name right now I'm not sure he's the guy even if we could pick him. 

I do think in one bold trade or luck on the UFA market might bring that player in by next fall though.

There may be.  I do tend to err on the side of pessimism.  I don't think I can be blamed for that though given the last 7   45 years.

Corrected your year thing.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Down Goes Brown has a great article on the whole thing.

Make no mistake: Brian Burke, the man, is about as admirable as they come. Oh, sure, he often came across as a thin-skinned bully, especially with the media. He also worked tirelessly for charity, was fiercely loyal in a business where few are, and carried on with an almost unimaginable strength after the death of his son Brendan. The important work done by Burke and his family to build acceptance of gay athletes has a chance to live on long after Burke?s time in Toronto has been forgotten.

But when it comes to wins and losses, none of that matters. (And please say a small prayer for Maple Leafs fans that this really is about wins and losses, and not about Burke?s ability to play nice with his new corporate masters as some have speculated, because if that?s the case, then this franchise might never win again and wouldn?t deserve to.) Burke may be a good man, but so far in Toronto, he hadn?t been a winning one.

 

[Mack674]

I really think the whole thing is a shame. If they were going to fire him it should have been done months ago, but...

I actually think Burke was close to having a good playoff team. He may not have made a ton of brilliant moves but he had a direction. The benefits of his plan may not have mad on ice results just yet, but I feel like theyre coming.

Not advocating for getting or not getting Luongo, but having a goaltender of that calibre would have made a huge difference last year, could definitely have avoided that disaster collapse and made the playoffs. Maybe as comfortably as 5 or 6 seed.

Considering what Burke was given to work with when he got here, I think he's done a pretty decent job and we have all lived through much worse GMs than this.

It's really a shame if the Leafs succeed this year, on top of all this. Firing a guy because he doesn't get along with management.... eeesh.

Rogers/Bell taking over all sports in Toronto seems to have taken a turn for the evil. Call me crazy but I really don't get the warm and fuzzy from corporations running my favourite franchises.

 

[maplesyrup]

Rogers/Bell taking over all sports in Toronto seems to have taken a turn for the evil. Call me crazy but I really don't get the warm and fuzzy from corporations running my favourite franchises.

Devil's advocate: Nobody has complaints with the Blue Jays right now.

 

[Kin]

Rogers/Bell taking over all sports in Toronto seems to have taken a turn for the evil. Call me crazy but I really don't get the warm and fuzzy from corporations running my favourite franchises.

Things were fuzzier under a multi-billion dollar pension fund?

 

[bustaheims]

Things were fuzzier under a multi-billion dollar pension fund?

Or a malevolent, criminal, grumpy old rich dude?

 

[Kin]

Things were fuzzier under a multi-billion dollar pension fund?

Or a malevolent, criminal, grumpy old rich dude?

Seriously, outside of the Stavro years it's been pretty much a 45 year uninterrupted stretch of pure evil and even then...how many of you actually went into a Knob Hill Farms?

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I really think the whole thing is a shame. If they were going to fire him it should have been done months ago, but...

I actually think Burke was close to having a good playoff team. He may not have made a ton of brilliant moves but he had a direction. The benefits of his plan may not have mad on ice results just yet, but I feel like theyre coming.

And like Vancouver, Burke will receive no credit when the team finally does come together....Vancouver now is a result of what Burke started.

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Things were fuzzier under a multi-billion dollar pension fund?

Or a malevolent, criminal, grumpy old rich dude?

Seriously, outside of the Stavro years it's been pretty much a 45 year uninterrupted stretch of pure evil and even then...how many of you actually went into a Knob Hill Farms?

Yes, one way or another, I think we can truly say we've been getting the knob for 45 years.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

Feel free to continue this analogy...

 

[drummond]

I liked Burkie, the only thing I did not agree with him was his concept of top 6 and bottom 6 fowards. You can not win in todays hockey when your players on third and fourth line score from 3 to 7 goals. What wins you the games today is the quality of the third line. I like Mike Brown type of players, they are usually fine personalities, but couple of goals and barely 10 points is simply not good enough. If you have depth dopwn there, you may get quite far even though you do not have a bone fide Nr. 1.

 

[Zee]

I really think the whole thing is a shame. If they were going to fire him it should have been done months ago, but...

I actually think Burke was close to having a good playoff team. He may not have made a ton of brilliant moves but he had a direction. The benefits of his plan may not have mad on ice results just yet, but I feel like theyre coming.

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

I almost spit out when I read that line.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

Feel free to continue this analogy...

I'm not sure I can, but now that the image is implanted in your brain, I can move along 

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I really think the whole thing is a shame. If they were going to fire him it should have been done months ago, but...

I actually think Burke was close to having a good playoff team. He may not have made a ton of brilliant moves but he had a direction. The benefits of his plan may not have mad on ice results just yet, but I feel like theyre coming.

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

I almost spit out when I read that line.

You're not suppose to spit out with the fluffer....Just rise to the occasion.

 

[Justin]

I really think the whole thing is a shame. If they were going to fire him it should have been done months ago, but...

I actually think Burke was close to having a good playoff team. He may not have made a ton of brilliant moves but he had a direction. The benefits of his plan may not have mad on ice results just yet, but I feel like theyre coming.

And like Vancouver, Burke will receive no credit when the team finally does come together....Vancouver now is a result of what Burke started.

Perhaps Burke is just the "Fluffer"

That's very true. Vancouver's whole core is courtesy of Burke and Nonis. Burke brought in the Sedin twins, Kesler, Burrows, and Bieksa, while Nonis brought Luongo, Schneider, and Edler to Vancouver. Everyone else on the Presidents Trophy winning Canucks team are role players.

Burke and Nonis built Vancouver - let's hope they can do the same in Toronto.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Goaltending appears to his kryptonite.

His time in Vancouver and Toronto was crippled by a failure to address the problems in goal.

Giguere fell in to his lap in Anaheim.