First Ron Wilson says he doesn’t want to be known as a loser and then he says he doesn’t want to speak to the MSM. 2 questions for you, first, the easy one, does anyone blame the guy for not wanting to talk ever day, answering the same questions over and over again? Didn’t think so. Second, is Wilson obligated to do so? Does Wilson have to stand with his back to the wall answering the exact same questions every day asked by the same group of guys? Or, is he in the alternative allowed to wave the hand, and refuse to comment?

It says here that despite what ever obligations the MSM may think Wilson has, he is well in his rights to shut his trap from time to time. His team is 3-16 and the questions are no less repetitive or in the least bit creative so why the hell should he be forced to suffer through it every day. This isn’t a market where PR is hard to come by, the leafs have lots of guys who can speak so that Wilson doesn’t have to be the voice every day. I don’t have a problem with Wilson’s silence at all.

Take a look here for a good theory on what is ailing the Maple Leafs and why/how Burke is going to deal with his problems. Personally, i think the vets should be sent to the minors and you deal with the recoverable waivers at the time. But that’s just me.

“The bigger question around the Leafs is how much longer general manager Brian Burke will choose to function in a state of virtual paralysis. Burke was lassoed from Anaheim and handed the keys to the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment vault not to sit idly while his team transitions from mediocrity to hopelessness. I’ve seen happier faces on a bottle of Iodine than the one Burke is walking around with these days, and it cannot possibly be more than another week or two before he starts taking whatever measures are available to him in the NHL’s restrictive salary-cap system.”

Interesting take by Berger in his blog. Predictable but interesting. Howard is no genius, he sees (when he goes to games) what we all see:

“How much longer will Burke tolerate Jason Blake, with two goals in 19 games?

Has Rickard Wallin proven he’s better prepared to make an impact – even a minor one – in the NHL today than he was in a failed attempt with Minnesota half-a-decade ago?

Is there any purpose in carrying Wayne Primeau and Jamal Mayers on the same floundering team?

Will Nikolai Kulemin ever show, for more than a few minutes, that he isn’t figuratively on some distant planet?

What service is Garnet Exelby [10 games, no points, minus-7] providing the Maple Leafs?

Can a player in the NHL possibly waste more energy and motion than Mikhail Grabovski?”

Where stay at home Berger fails, is offering solutions. A true insider does that. It’s very easy to sit back and identify the problem. What separates the pretenders from the real deal are those who can suggest fixes. That’s not to suggest any of them will be done, but at least it shows that the author has the ability to make suggestions and not just point out the obvious.

Well, tomorrow night is the nhl early season toilet bowl take 2. Leafs v Canes- bet the over

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

There are 47 shopping days for NHL GM’s not named Brian Burke. We all know that Burke’s own holiday Christmas trade freeze kicks in early, so if the Toronto Maple Leaf GM is going to make a deal, the window to do pre-freeze is just over a month away. I’m certain if he were asked he would say something along the lines of he is always looking to improve the team, that other teams are offering up nothing but bad contracts etc. etc. etc.

One area most of us agree that Burke should go looking for some help is in net. Vesa Toskala is simply not the answer. He hasn’t even shown to a be a capable backup to Jonas Gustavsson. I think Toskala is still waiting for the shootout to begin in Montreal.

Lots of folks talk trade in the MSM of the NHL. There aren’t too many worth listening to when they do. Too many of them are just simply off the post when it comes to rumors. I can list on one hand the number of guys who discuss potential trades that are the least bit reliable. Pierre LeBrun is one of the guys who is actually pretty good at it.

Now LeBrun, in his latest column isn’t talking rumor per se, rather speculation on a deal that he believes should be made:

“In my opinion, if there’s a trade that just makes too much sense, it’s Jean-Sebastien Giguere to Toronto. Clearly, it makes sense for Anaheim, which wants to cut itself from the goaltender’s contract ($6 million this season and $7 million next season). But I also think the Maple Leafs should give this some serious thought (I think they have, at least a little bit).”

We’ve had this debate before already the main question in my opinion is what are we giving up to get him? Can’t give up picks. If we are taking a huge salary back, I hope we are either dumping a huge salary or getting prospects or picks back.

“The Leafs are one of the few teams on Giguere’s short list (he has a no-movement clause), he would be reunited with goalie coach Francois Allaire and he could mentor rookie Jonas Gustavsson, much like he did Jonas Hiller in Anaheim. Let’s face it: Vesa Toskala (UFA July 1) is probably beyond repair in Toronto, where the fans have turned on him. The Leafs, meanwhile, could rid themselves of some excess baggage in the Giguere deal, perhaps sending a forward or two the other way, a guy like Alexei Ponikarovsky, for example.”

Excess baggage I agree with. Is Ponikarovsky the excess baggage though? I am not saying I am in love with Poni but there are others I would sooner throw over board as “excess baggage”. I would have to assume that Toskala would have to go the other way too no?

“The Leafs will have some extra bodies up front when Phil Kessel makes his much-anticipated return. And, by the way, Giguere might help the Leafs win a few games over the next year and a half, which isn’t a bad thing considering Boston holds both of Toronto’s first-round picks. It’s just my own speculation, but I just think it makes too much sense.”

Winning games would be a refreshing change around here. Leaf loses are becoming as accepted as NHLPA leadership changes. I am not a fan of change for change sake, however I do think with that if things don’t get MUCH better as we approach and surpass the 15 game mark Burke has to do something.

LeBrun is here

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

I was out most of the day today so I didn’t get a chance to listen to much radio. Thankfully, Bruce Arthur was listening when Brian Burke was on the Fan 590. Contrary to what some have written recently about Brian Burke, the guy gets it. He knows what he has to do. The question is does he know how to do it or is he able to do it again?

“”It corrodes your confidence,” Burke told The Fan590 yesterday. “I think your forwards won’t gamble at all on the offensive end, and they won’t hang around and take a chance on a loose puck because they figure they’ve got to get back. Your [defencemen] give up the blue lines, both blue lines, way too quickly, way too easily.”

The “IT” is shitty goaltending. As you have read here and other places, bad goaltending effects the entire psyche of the team. It’s not just the bad goals, its the total effect on the entire team.

“Right now, we’re playing with our third and fourth goaltender in the organization. No one else in the NHL is doing that, and it’s hurting us, it’s showing up.”

Well, at least we agree on the problem. The question is does anyone really have any faith in #’s 1 and 2? Someone who’s opinion I kind of respect has told me privately that they are convinced that the Burke/Wilson plan involved getting the entire town turned on Vesa to get him out of here. Now the comment was partially in jest, however the sentiment was pretty clear. There is no way they wanted to start O for….. but……

“He told The Fan yesterday that he learned his goaltending lesson in Vancouver, where Dan Cloutier sabotaged some pretty good teams, whether due to injuries or otherwise. “So I got to Anaheim and I said, ‘Never again will I be short on goaltending,” Burke said. “‘Never again.’

Ummmmmmmmmmm….my never seems to have come around pretty quickly no?

“Goaltending is like pitching,” he told the radio station. “It doesn’t matter how good the rest of your team is … It doesn’t matter what other positions you solve, it doesn’t matter if you’re GM of the year for the other positions – if you don’t have goaltending, you’re going home.”

You see, I agree with everything the guy says. No I don’t think you rush to judgement after 6 or 7 games. But….As Kenny Rogers said, or sang, you got to know when to hold em….. Forget the Monster for now. He is too young and too raw. The question is very simple. Can Vesa Toskala be a number one goalie here? It’s not whether he is a number one goalie. Lots of players have left the big smoke and gone on to play well elsewhere. Is Vesa done here? That is the question Burke needs to answer. Right now he is a team without an ace, a number 2 or number three pitcher. His players are playing like every pitch is going to end up over the fence. He is saying all the right things. The question is what does he do about it???? I wonder what his new goalie guru thinks of Vesa. Both Burke and Wilson were pretty tough on Toskala last year. His play so far can not have endured them any more. One can wonder why if he is saying all these things right now why he entered the season with a questionable number one, a rookie number two and well, Joey.

It seems pretty obvious that, as he said above, all the moves he made over the summer are pretty irrelevant until he finds a goalie. A guy who will relax the players in Toronto and carry the load until Jonas is ready and seasoned. His front office staff have to find that guy who can come in and, oh, I don’t know, make a big save right out of the gate. Burke knows it, question is can he get it. Time will tell.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Bruce Arthur is here

Brian Burke Is brianburke-hc-20091019

Listen to the Chat here

When filing a lawsuit it is common, for some attorney’s anyways to not only sue everyone but also to sue for everything. The thinking is that if you throw enough crap at the wall something, anything, is bound to stick.

The same has been said about certain rumor sites. If you mention enough players and enough teams, eventually you will get one right. Throw enough crap against the wall, something is bound to stick.

Then there is Stay At Home Berger. The author of his own fair share of bizarre and misguided columns, he has thrown lots of crap at the proverbial wall…eventually something was bound to stick….

“The Leafs, quite simply, haven’t gotten a big, important save from one of their goalies in the first seven games. Well, maybe one… Vesa Toskala made a difficult pad stop in the waning moments of regulation against Montreal, lengthening the season opener to extra time. Otherwise, it’s been an absolute horror show between the pipes for the Maple Leafs, and there isn’t a team at any level of hockey that can overcome disability at that key position.”

Stay At Home is right on in is most recent column (so perhaps hell has frozen over). Teams simply play differently in front of goaltenders they have confidence in. Players, no matter the age, will play differently when they fear that every mistake will end up in their own net. This confidence can be lost and it can be gained. Right now, the Maple Leafs, with pretty good reason have little to no confidence in any of the Leafs goalies. Vesa has clearly lost it. Joey and Jonas haven’t earned it yet.

“Another option would be for Burke to put in a call to old pal Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who has twice appeared for Anaheim this season, but could ultimately find himself rotting on the end of the Ducks’ bench in favor of Jonas Hiller. To accommodate the bulk of Giguere’s $6-million salary – assuming he can work out a deal with Bob Murray, his former assistant – Burke would first have to waive Toskala and, perhaps, underachieving veteran Jason Blake. Both contracts, should they survive the waiver process, could then be transferred to the Marlies of the American Hockey League – paid in full by the Maple Leafs, but no longer a burden to the club’s cap arrangement. After all, such a move – though cold-hearted – was repeatedly threatened by Burke over the summer months.”

Now, I think Stay At Home is right that the problems start in net. I am not sold on Jean-Sebastien Giguere as the savior. It’s not the $6-million salary this year that worries me. It’s the $6-million salary next year that does. I would be more comfortable with a guy who wasn’t going to be such an expensive gamble. LT raised the name Manny Fernndez as a possibility. Somewhere there has to be an experienced goalie who can make that key first save that gives the team a lift. Let’s see if team Burke can find him.

Kevin Paul Dupont seems to agree that without a fill in in net- bad things are ahead for the buds:

“Ugly start for the Leafs, a dead-last 0-5-1 before hosting the red-hot Rangers last night. They desperately need a No. 1 goaltender, and think they might have one in rookie Jonas Gustavsson (sidelined with a groin injury). Without a patch there, it’s a certainty that the Bruins will end up with a top-five pick, if not the No. 1, in the June draft as part of the Phil Kessel swap last month. ”

Speaking of KPD- I love this quote on the mess that is the NHLPA:

“No NHL games on the docket today, a true rarity. Off the ice, though, players have a chance to make a significant impact on the state of their game, and their union, in a players-only conference call that is intended to get to the bottom of the ongoing strife in and around NHL Players Association headquarters in Toronto. A growing chorus of players, displeased with how executive director Paul Kelly was bum-rushed off the job Aug. 31, want a thorough and independent review of how that happened, and in particular want to learn what part, if any, Ian Penny (general counsel and interim executive director), Buzz Hargrove (ombudsman), Ron Pink (adviser), and Eric Lindros (former ombudsman) played. Note to players: The easiest, laziest thing to do now is to shrug shoulders and figure someone else will make the boo-boo go away. Uh-uh, it’s on you. And if you let this opportunity for both review and remedy slip away, don’t complain when you are dumped out of the Zamboni with the rest of the night’s ice shavings.”

So no games on the docket, your union meeting on serious issues, should be a no brainer to get shit done right?

“Yet again, the NHLPA failed to have quorum during Sunday’s conference call, so unless those teams who weren’t able to participate surface, the main objectives of the call will sit idle. Sources say the player representatives voted 19-3 in favor of an official review of the Players Association with NHL veterans Rob Blake, Nicklas Lidstrom, Mark Recchi and Chris Chelios appointed to a committee to spearhead the review.”

That from Darren Dreger. So, it looks like the players have gone the easy,lazy route eh Kevin? I mean, it’s brutal enough that you don’t get all the teams on the call, but to not even get quorum for something as “important” as the call???? Certainly speaks volumes about just how important some players really think this is.

Dregger’s story lead NHL player agnet Allan Walsh to tweet the following:

“How is it that the NHLPA conference call ended less than 2 hours ago and details already leaking out?”

“These PA leaks are coming from agents with their own agendas and has to stop. The players are trying to clean up this mess.”

“These agents will be exposed if they don’t leave the players to fix this…it’s time for everyone to butt out!!”

Hmmmmm. Let’s see, the NHLPA holds a conference call and word is leaked as to what happened??? I mean it’s very suspicious isn’t it????? Nothing they do has ever become public before. How did it happen this time????

The obvious question/conclusion to Walsh’s tweet is this…. If agents with agenda’s are behind the leaks, which agenda list agent is behind the group trying to “clean up the mess”? Behind every good player is an agent with an agenda, I’m just saying. If the shitdisturbers have agents with agenda’s it has to follow that the shitcleaners also have agents with agendas.

On the heals of the Montreal Gazette attack on Brian Burke is this shot from Larry Brooks (speaking of agendas):

“How long before Brian Burke blames Kevin Lowe for the mess in Toronto?”

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Stay at home is here
KPD is here
Dreger is here
Brooks is here

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- open phones with Faulds from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jim Kelley
Roundtable with John Shannon, Dave Perkins & Gord Kirke

On 640 with Duff and Watters:

440 – Bill Daly

510 – Steve Rosenbloom – chicago tribune

540 – Brendan Bell – Newest Blues D-man

610 – Bob Nightengale – USA Today

640 – Darcy Regier – replayed from Leafs Lunch

TSM Take:

So it’s deadline day, so far Scott Rolen has been traded, has anyone else? Rumours around the Roy Halladay may be an California or Anaheim Angel…details to follow

Short Maple Leaf update this evening folks. I did have the good fortune to chat via email with Brian Burke today. I asked two simple questions and Burke was too kind to respond to both with prompt efficency:

First I asked Burke if, despite Petr Sykora’s age Burke had any interest in the Stanley Cup winning forward. Burke said that while he had Petr on his team in Anaheim and really liked him a lot, he has no interest in Petr for the Maple Leafs. I am not totally surprised, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Personally, I would love to see Sykora in blue and white. I think he would be a good addition to the forward group as he can put the puck in the net.

Secondly I asked Burke for an ETA on an announcement on the Marlies head coaching position. Burke wrote that he hoped to be in a position to make an announcement next week. it is interesting to note that I checked with a couple of other folks around the league tonight and none had heard anything, much to their collective surprise, about the Marlie job. When I asked the other folks if they had any opinion on the rumored front runner, Dallas Eakins many said that they would be surprised if Eakins got the post but that they really hadn’t heard anything about the next coach of the baby leafs. Eakins currently works for the Leafs and therefore if he were the guy (and we are really about a week away from an announcement) the fact no one is talking may suggest that the candidate is in fact a person currently inside the leaf organization.

I can tell you that Burke is in fact back from his fishing trip and was at work before 6 o’clock this morning! One can only assume that with about a month to go until training camp there is much work for him to do.

Sorry the nightly update is so short.

TSM

Damien checked in with a video today:

Howard Berger also checked in with a blog:

“It’s anyone’s guess as to how the dispute will be won, but I am most intrigued by Balsillie’s accusation in a separate lawsuit that the NHL is operating an “illegal cartel”. For many years, I have wondered about the unilateral territorial claim that is common in all professional leagues, but doesn’t appear to be constitutional. In a free-enterprise system, competing factions are encouraged to exist in proximity to one another; it’s the reason a Burger King restaurant can set up shop across the street from an existing McDonald’s franchise. Such an arrangement satisfies anti-trust regulations by discouraging monopolistic tendancies.”

Now you see, this is why guys like Howie shouldn’t try to analogize with the law. This analogy with two competing Burger joints is totally irrelevant. The better analogy would be with multiple McDonald’s franchises within one city. There would be no way to keep a burger king from opening up wherever the hell they want! It’s not possible. That has nothing to to with anti-trust. A law firm in the US has a good article that explains antitrust cases at length. Here is a good snippit of the famous Kodak case:

“At one point in history, Kodak has controlled as much as 96% of the film and camera market in the United States. Through the years, Kodak has seen and weathered several antitrust suits and claims brought by both private and federal parties. The two suits that would shape and reinforce antitrust law in the United States were brought on by the U.S. Government In 1921 and in 1954 and would result in two consent decrees. In accordance with the 1921 decree, Kodak agreed to not sell private-label film – it was disbarred from selling film under any other label but it’s own. In 1954, following the development of its’ Kodacolor film, Kodak’s became not only the only manufacturer and seller of Kodacolor, it was also the only company that knew how to process the film as well – and parlayed that into its’ business strategy. As part of the purchase cost of Kodacolor, Kodak included a fee that would allow the customer to send in the film for processing and delivery. Accused that the “tying” together of the film and the finished product constituted a violation of the Sherman Act, Kodak was forced to license the color finishing process to third parties. In 1994, citing changing international economic conditions, both consent decrees were terminated.”

The US has laws that prevent “monopolies” or unfair business practices with respect to competition. The Coyotes are arguing that the NHL’s rules with respect to moving franchises is anti-competitive; it isn’t allowing others to compete and therefore is preventing their owners to succeed.

“The reversal of such a long-term practice could affect the most routine elements of sport – those which are overlooked in legal circles for being internally policed. If you smacked another person on the street, or rammed that person into the side of a building, you’d quickly be charged with assault. But, hockey players can fight one another and rigorously hammer opponents into wooden boards that surround the playing surface. If you sprinted toward a stranger during a walk in the park and violently propelled that person to the ground, you’d quickly be in handcuffs. But, football players are encouraged to tackle opponents with all the brutality they can muster. In a friendly neighborhood baseball game, purposely winging the ball at an individual’s head might get you in loads of trouble if it connects, causing serious injury. In the major leagues, such action – though frowned upon – is considered legitimate strategy. The most profound anti-societal sport is boxing, but matches are sanctioned by commissions that are loosely affiliated with government.
It’s interesting to imagine what could transpire if someone challenged the minute legalities of sport.”

I have no clue the relevancy of this point by Berger. Whether or not a league is in violation of the antitrust laws has little to do with the fact that there are different standards in sports vs. society. I am not sure what he is trying to get at. I can’t imagine he is trying to suggest that there could be a slippery slope here; that is, that if the NHL is said to be in violation of the antitrust laws therefore it is possible that a hockey player who bodychecks another player could be charged with assault! In fariness to Howie, I heard other sports media members on the radio and television trying to wax poeticly about bankruptcy law, and it’s just nuts. A trustee in bankruptcy has nothing in common with a hockey game. To ask a hockey insider what he thinks is going to happen is totally irrelevant. One of the downsides of the economy is the jack of all trades media members…you do remember the last part of that saying right….

“Leaf fans are smitten by anything that resembles a top prospect, and most are unwilling to even consider the notion of trading the big defenseman. But, if Burke truly wants a legitimate shot at Tavares, he’ll have no choice but to dangle Schenn as bait. An argument can be made that Schenn is likely to evolve as a facsimile of veteran Adam Foote – a solid, reliable blue-liner that can diffuse opposition advances. Such players do not grow on trees, but neither has a club ever built a team around Adam Foote. A natural goal-scorer such as Tavares could provide the Leafs the caliber of building block they’ve lacked since drafting Darryl Sittler almost 40 years ago. That’s why I believe Burke is serious about pursuing Tavares. And, why he may have to consider all options at the draft table.”

If you have followed this blog, you know that I have said for some time that Luke Schenn isn’t Burke’s guy. Burke future isn’t attached to Luke. Does that mean he should be thrown overboard? Hell no. I think Burke would move Schenn in the absolute right package. I don’t know any leaf fan who has said “thou shall not trade Luke under any circumstances”. Clearly this is a market for everyone, and even the biggest Schenn lover (family excluded) would break at some offer. I think there is great banter out there as to what Garth Snow is thinking, same with Brian Burke. Does anyone believe that these guys are going to share anything of substance? Didn’t think so.

You all saw this hit right? Aaron Ward got clobbered. Walker, several minutes in penalties:

Damien through out his prediction on what would happen when the league met with Walker:

“Will the league do anything? Its sounds unlikely, although there will be a hearing on the matter today in New York. In fact – you’re gonna love this – the league will probably RESCIND part of the in-game punishment handed down to Walker for the instigator penalty he receivedSo it may not just be that Walker won’t be suspended. He may be partially vindicated, with some of the 17 penalty minutes he was given taken away. Basically, the thinking may be that it was up to Ward to defend himself, not up to Walker to restrain himself. Hard to believe, but that’s where this may be headed. Moreover, Ward and Helm both showed that the players on the team that is winning a lopsided game basically become pinatas for the sore losers on the other side. Solution? Well, if Brookbank had to serve his two-minute minor to start Game 6 in Anaheim tomorrow, do you think his own coach, Randy Carlyle, would allow him to get away with his cheap shot? Walker got his 17 minutes worth of penalties with only 2:47 left in the third period. What if he had to serve those penalties at the start of Game 6 in Raleigh tomorrow night? This we know. Suspensions don’t seem to slow these guys down.”

He was bang on. Collie Campbell punted. I have said this too often. Colin Campbell seems to follow the Canadian justice system when it comes to handing out punishment. There is no precedent, no track record, no rhyme, no reason.

Congrats to the Caps on an amazing game 6 win. Good luck back in DC. Can’t wait to watch the Jays vs the Yankees tomorrow night. I really home the barn is full. AJ vs. Doc. Does it get any better right now? What is the over under on how many pieces ask whether or not the Jays fans will boo or cheer AJ, and then how many will question or comment on the “correctness” of booing AJ? I am curious, have we seen the last of Mats Sundin? Can you believe, no really, can you believe that he could have taken the Canucks for $20 million?????? Ask yourself this. You are an NHL GM, your phone rings on July 1, it’s Sundin’s agent, he wants to play for you- what do you offer?

Deepest sympathies to the Canucks faithful. I don’t care what anyone says, losing in the playoffs isn’t nearly as bad as not playing at all.

Talk tomorrow!

TSM

Here are your links

http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2009/05/awful-optics.html

http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=6025

http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/nothingbutleafs/2009/05/10/the-red-wings-will-not-be-stopped/

Had enough time to digest yet??? Sick of Brian Burke talk???? If you are, allow me to suggest a few places other then here (Toronto) that you should head for a few weeks, because the nonsense has only just begun.

In any event, here is a brief tour & analysis of the “experts”:

“The one thing that will not be a problem in negotiations between Brian Burke and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is money.MLSE, according to some insiders, let Burke know he could expect a four-year, $2.2-million-per-year (all currency U.S.) contract offer to be the Toronto Maple Leafs boss long before he stepped down as GM of the Anaheim Ducks. Now that Burke is a free agent, he will command more than that, but to think this potential marriage could fall apart because MLSE won’t want to pay what Burke asks is absurd…..If I were a gambling man, I’d wager Burke will be running the Maple Leafs before the end of the season. But I’d want some odds because of the complications.

That from David Shoalts of the Globe. Strike 1. This is all about the money. The board has proven with Cliff that they want to do the right thing. The only thing that will derail this is money. If Burke demands more then Colangelo, making him the highest paid executive in the NHL by a looooong shot, then this could get derailed… There is no other mitigating factor. I guy doesn’t say that this is the job where if you win they name schools after you if he doesn’t want the job. Scotty Bowman asked for Colangelo money. The economy is in the crapper, but rest assured Burke is not going to come for less then that. How much more is the #1 factor in him taking the job……

“This is a deal that should get done, possibly by the end of next week. If Brian Burke isn’t the new general manager of the Maple Leafs by then, and possibly the president as well, it will be because with the professional opportunity of a lifetime at his feet, he went for too much. Even Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owners of the most valuable franchise in hockey despite their absolute failure to produce a winner, have their limits. It wouldn’t necessarily be dollars, or a specific amount. MLSE might balk if they are offended by a Burke request that comes in too high, a request that too brazenly tries to cash in on the leverage the former Anaheim GM quite obviously has in this situation”

Give Damien a prize. I am not sure if the word offended is right, but if he asks for the sky they may balk.

“Now comes the Burke opportunity, one that, regardless of what Richard Peddie was saying yesterday, could not have possibly surprised the Leafs.”

I think they were surprised. I think they were surprised that it was yesterday. I don’t think (and neither does Damien) that they were surprised it happened at all as eventually it would have…but I actually take Peddie at his word on this one…

“Going for $5 million might cause MLSE suits to tell him to take a hike. Burke, meanwhile, considers himself a strong negotiator and, at 53 years of age, this is his chance to nail down the biggest deal of his career. They want him. He wants them. It seems unthinkable anything could block this marriage now.
But it isn’t unthinkable. The most valuable franchise in the sport and one of its biggest personalities still have to strike a deal. Egos alone could kill it all.”

The key to this deal is the average salary over the term of the deal. It won’t be how much he makes each year, it will be the average. If he asks for an average of 5 per year I think that he isn’t coming here. I also don’t think he is going to get an average of 5 a year anywhere else. So I don’t think he is going to ask for that. Remember it is all about the money(and the term).

“But make no mistake: This is Toronto’s play to make. If the Leafs come up with appropriate finances and term, they will have in place the general manager they were hoping for when they fired John Ferguson Jr., last winter.”

Right on Mr. Simmons.

“Whether Burke and the Leafs will be a fit of any kind is open to interpretation.”

That is right, because when the news broke, prior to Mr. Armstrong’s slur on Detroit, you, Mr. Simmons said that you were no longer a supporter of bringing Mr. Burke to Toronto. You, gasp, cough cough, said that you were impressed with the job that Cliff and Ron have done so far and felt that bringing in Burke at this time may not be the right move (you failed to say it here by the way…)

“The dynamic has changed a little bit. It’s like Burke and the Leafs are at a high school dance. They’re both thinking very seriously about asking each other to dance, they’re clearly attracted to each other but they may now feel the need to play a little hard to get. There’s other fish in the sea for both of them, don’t you know. There may be some third-party interest in Burke beyond the Leafs. And now that the moment of truth is conceivably here, the Leafs may find some reasons to consider all their options, everything from the incumbent Cliff Fletcher to what they perceive might be available this summer.
At the end of the day, though, the probability of Burke becoming the Leafs’ next GM is far greater than not.It makes too much sense, but there’s a negotiation to be done and there could be issues along the way. So let the dance begin. This will be interesting.”

Too true Mr. McKenzie. I did find it interesting that your network released today news that the Leafs were a stones throw from landing Jimmy Rutherford 2 summers ago when he turned them down. Curious why that story came out today. These stories surface for a reason and you can bet there is an ulterior motive on someone’s part somewhere.

“Sources close to the Toronto Maple Leafs say the team was “caught off guard” by the news Brian Burke had been replaced as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. However today’s announcement undoubtedly changes that and, with other names like San Jose’s Doug Wilson, Detroit’s Ken Holland and Nashville’s David Poile still being tossed around as potential candidates at the end of the season, Burke’s hiring in Toronto may depend on his expectations, both financially, as well as the autonomy he is sure to demand.”

Let’s take Darren Dreger’s first comment. To suggest that they weren’t surprised would mean that a: this announcement was premeditated or planned in advance. Just because they say it went down the way they said it did doesn’t mean it did. Secondly, even if it was known for 24 hours, how would the leafs have known. I guess the assumption is that Burke would have told them right? Ok, so let’s get into that. Assume for a second he wants to come to Toronto, why would he alert anyone and risk a tampering charge, can’t you imagine, he takes the Toronto job, the leafs win the lottery and Anaheim has the pick because he alerted the leafs this was going down??? Who cares if they were surprised it happened yesterday???? The media was……Why should he leaf brass be any different?

Dreger is right on the last comment, did you hear, it is all about the money and the term?

“The common perception is that he’ll get the same deal that Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo got, but that’s not a given. Colangelo is said to have an exit clause if there is interference from above, but Burke should want more than that. First off, if he gets an offer and takes it, he’s not going to want to leave so there has to be more to the autonomy clause than just the right to walk away. Burke will seek assurances that there will be no interference and penalties to ownership or bonuses to him if there is any. That’s not to say he gets complete control. Ownership needs to retain the right to make certain that Burke can’t make deals that are outside the economic or political scope of ownership (for example, dealing No.1 picks for an aging defenceman or a fading scorer). There also needs to be a clear statement of purpose so that should Burke want, for example, to bring Todd Bertuzzi to Toronto the day before his trial opens in Ontario in his assault on Steve Moore, ownership has the right to say yes or no.
That’s not interference. That’s protecting the rights and value of the franchise, an ownership responsibility. It’s something that goes on in every franchise and the Leafs are no different. Working out an agreement that covers that will be a time-consuming and difficult process.”

Whaaaat Mr. Kelly???? That is exactly what is interferance. Setting a budget and making a president/ceo stick to it is not interference, that is protecting the franchise. What you are talking about is the type of meddling the media has accused the board of engaging in!

“Then there’s always the possibility that a even more successful talent – say a Ken Holland in Detroit, a Lou Lamoriello in New Jersey or a Doug Wilson in San Jose (and Wilson’s stock has been consistently rising) – might come free at season’s end. The Leafs need to consider the possibility that one of those men will come into the market. The Leafs also need to be aware that now that Burke is free some big-name competitors, including Boston, New York and Chicago, might consider a management restructuring to get him.”

Kelly and others have roasted MLSE for not hiring someone last summer, yet know they want them to wait again. If Burke is the guy you wanted last summer, then you go hire him now. As he said in his conference yesterday, if Bob Murray is going to eventually take over there is no time like the present. You don’t wait around for a what if, when the one you want is there waiting.

“The man fits the job. The job fits the man. Somehow though, I sense we’ll have to chew on this hire for a couple of weeks before the two sides finally shake hands.”

I agree with Mark Spector on this one about 98%

“The problem in Toronto is that almost all the franchise’s plans end up falling to pieces because there is next to no consensus, from the top of the organization down, on which direction the Original Six franchise should take. Even if Burke is the best candidate for the job, getting from here to there is a veritable minefield and shouldn’t be considered a foregone conclusion.”

Yawn, Hey Scott, you paying attention these days???? If you want to take a shot, there is lots of ammo, try using something at least relevant.

“Other teams considered potential candidates include the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, but those clubs are likely to be long shots to land him. Interested teams now have a week to put together offers for Burke which will only ensure he’ll be the subject of considerable media speculation in the coming days.”

I am a huge Spector fan, but I think with respect to Florida, Atlanta and Tampa they have no shot of getting Burke. He won’t go to that type of market, in my opinion. Ottawa could be the one team that I could see. Question is would they fire Bryan Murray quick enough to make it happen.

Meanwhile, keep these in mind when (if) he takes the job and the locales start the he isn’t as good as people think parade. Speaking of parades, that means you Mike Hogan who asked this am why people are already planning the parade at the thought of Burke taking over the Leafs…Well for one, it’s not us the fans who are, it’s you the media creating all the hysteria and two, here are som opinions from folks who’s opinions I respect:

“Burke has a big personality, and it seems perfect for Toronto. He will enjoy the daily jousting with the media, and he won’t be intimidated by the pressure of running such a high profile franchise. The Maple Leafs just need to be re-energized, and Burke is a human transformer of energy. Burke loves entertaining skating teams, and he loves tough, fighting teams. That strategy will play well in Toronto. Players like Burke because he stands up for them. He defends his team ferociously and he’s not timid about calling the league office and complaining when he believes his team has been wronged. Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe can vouch for that. That kind of style would also play well with Toronto fans. I’ve known the man 20 years and I can you with a high degree of certainty that he always has a purpose for any word that comes out of his mouth. Fans believe still today that Burke acts out of anger when he rips Kevin Lowe for signing Dustin Penner, but he continues to go after Lowe because he wants other general managers to know that there will be some discomfort in their lives if they do something that he believes is wrong. (Burke believed that Lowe’s signing changed the salary structure for the entire league).”

I agree with everything that Kevin Allen wrote there. If he comes here it is for the right reason$.

“Burke said he had “delivered” here, and that’s true. He took a wealth of talent assembled by his predecessor, Bryan Murray, totally rebuilt the defense, added some toughness and brought the Cup to the West Coast. The Kings still haven’t accomplished that despite a 26-year head start. The Ducks have taken on Burke’s personality. He likes fast, physical hockey and the Ducks have always been willing — often too willing — to take the body and sometimes take a penalty. His coups were signing Niedermayer, who wanted to play alongside brother Rob, and acquiring Pronger, who has caused opponents headaches with his ruthless hits and given the Ducks a few headaches with his many suspensions.
The Ducks are unapologetic about being combative, just as Burke is — and was — during a silly war of words he initiated with Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe after Lowe lured Dustin Penner away from Anaheim with a rich offer sheet. Burke was sometimes blustery, sometimes defiant, but he made sure his players looked beyond themselves and became involved in the community. He wasn’t always successful but he never was dull.”Burkie’s not someone that’s easily lost,” said Ryan Getzlaf, a franchise cornerstone. “He’s done an excellent job here.”Now he moves on to the next job, leaving Murray big sandals to fill.”

I am a huge fan of Helene Elliott, she calls it like she sees it. The guy isn’t perfect nor was his performance in Anaheim, but he is what he is…

“When hockey finally settled its lockout in 2005, the Ducks’ profile was somewhere between Cal State Fullerton basketball and Professional Bull Riding.Their ’05 season never started. Their ’04 season was a crushing bore, with Sergei Fedorov coming up a little short on the Messiah scale. There was new ownership, which was good after the Disney years, but all the momentum from the ’03 Stanley Cup Finals was a puddle. All they had were Teemu Selanne and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and a building crying out for human interaction.But they also had Brian Burke. In a couple of weeks Burke signed Scott Niedermayer. In 10 months the Ducks played Edmonton for the Western Conference championship. A month after that they traded for Chris Pronger. Ten months after that, someone was engraving their names on the Stanley Cup.Success has multiple fathers, and certainly Pierre Gauthier and Bryan Murray did their part. But Burke, who turned over the general manager’s desk to Bob Murray on Wednesday, hired the coach and acquired — and aligned — the stars. He brought something the Ducks never had before. Scope. He thought big. He also brought clarity. In a market where hockey is an acquired taste, Burke knew the value of a consistent front man. His coach, Randy Carlyle, was just as uncompromisingly direct.

Burke is known for bombast and a long memory, and there’s no sign that he and Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe are going to golf in the same foursome. But he has that Irish sentimentality, too. He and a Vancouver columnist began trading tales about their recently deceased dogs, in a Calgary pub three years ago, and both had to break out the Kleenex. Sometimes two and two do make four, and sometimes rumor becomes real. But Burke knows he’ll be trading low-voltage comfort for a 24/7 fishbowl in Toronto. He also knows what lies ahead for the man who brings Toronto a Cup. Do they have knighthood in Canada? “They’d be naming schools after the guy who wins there,” Burke once said.
They ought to name the upper rows of Honda Center seats after Burke. Thanks to him, and his wide-angle perspective, people actually sit there.”

A very nice tribute by Mark Whicker. I have to tell you, when he takes the job it will be because, he knows his stuff. He has done it before with success, he can manhandle the media and HE CAN HANDLE THE BOARD. That is what this franchise will need and he may be the only guy out there who can. Will it lead to a cup or cups, I have no clue. I love Doug Wilson but I think he would have a tough time here. I am not sure Ken Holland would either (with respect to the board). There are others, not many (Our buddy Neil for sure!) who may be able to bring evertyhing that Burke does, I think that is why he will be the guy. The only other one who immediately comes to mind is Lou andI just don’t see that happening.

Type at you from the first period..