Deadline '10: Part One: Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs

It's that time of year again...

Every March, there is one day I anticipate more than anything. Do you need a hint?

Green. Lots and lots and lots of green.

Think you got it? You probably did.

If you guessed NHL Trade Deadline Day, good for you! Tomorrow is the day where teams change and managements all across North America will spend a lot of time and money to acquire players. Hours and hours of phones ringing, blackberries vibrating, emails popping up... the one day which may be out of the ordinary for GMs and Presidents alike, because there is excessive handling which comes with trades. One minute you think a player is going to one city and then last minute, two more teams get involved, and you have a whole new scenario. Anything can happen.

What did you think I was talking about? St. Patrick's Day?

Many businessmen will be arranging all sorts of deals to relocate players within North America. After watching segments and reviewing articles regarding the fateful day, one thing stands out. What are the struggling clubs going to do? For one team, their GM is the showstopper all day long. Meet Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.



If you've ever wondered why Brian Burke is so reputable, it's because he has worked hard to improve any struggling team (except the Hartford Whalers...)

When Burke became President and General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, veterans such as Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure were on their way out, along with Mark Messier. When Burke stepped in, he signed several key players. Firstly, he was notable for acquiring the Sedins as the second and third pick overall, respetively. It wasn't long after Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund, and Brendan Morrison became part of his plan and we're aware how that worked out. In 2001 and 2002 they were knocked out of the first round by eventual Cup champions (Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings). Although the team hasn't reached the Finals since 1994, they have once again become a can't-miss team when it comes to post-season hockey.

The same story happens a few hours down south in Anaheim, California. After the infamous lockout of 2004-05, Burke found a new home in sunny California. In 2003-04, it may have been surprising not to see the Ducks in the playoffs because the previous post-season had them playing in the finals against New Jersey Devils, all the way to a seventh game. Burke stepped in after the lockout and the Ducks managed to stay in the playoff hunt in 2005-06, but only to lose in the Conference Finals. Nonetheless, it was their best effort in years and it may have had to do with the acquisition of Scott Neidermayer. In his second year there, Burke arranged a refreshing change of uniform and arena for the team and it definitely paid off - the Ducks won their first Stanley Cup after defeating the Ottawa Senators and haven't looked back since. They continue to play hard and strong and are another team that can never be undermined.

Now he's back in Canada. Burke did an interview with George Stroumbolopolous on The Hour and said he will do whatever it takes to improve the team. Since the lockout, the Maple Leafs have generated nothing but lackluster records and seasons not worth mentioning. It's a dark time in Leafs Nation, but tomorrow could shed some light.

Burke is known to be a GM who rebuilds teams around draft picks and young prospects. I mean, the Sedins, Naslund, Bertuzzi for the Canucks. Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, Penner for the Ducks. As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has brought in the likes of Jonas Gustavsson who has had a stellar rookie campaign and I am faithful he will improve his game. Mike Komisarek, Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, are just some names to mention. With Burke's help, is Toronto going to have a star studded line up any time soon?



Brian Burke assisted with the development of the U.S. team for men's ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The U.S. was the only team to go undefeated until the gold medal game. I can only imagine how troublesome it must be for Burke to come back to Toronto, knowing the team was very close and fell one goal short. However, I commend him for putting together a dominant squad. It'll bother him for days but it's time to move on.

What's next for Toronto? It's important to see what Burke can do at the deadline for Kessel especially because the team's first round draft picks for 2010 and 2011 have been traded away. That's a ballsy move and now it's time to see what Burke can do for Kessel, for the team, and most importantly, the fans. There have been rumours swindling for months now as to who's going where. Matt Stajan has already found a new home with Calgary Flames and Jason Blake with the Anaheim Ducks. Lee Stempniak, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jeff Finger, Wayne Primeau are the first names that come to mind when trying to decide who is going where. The Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, and for some of these players it may be their last game in a blue and white uniform. It's hard to imagine that the Leafs will climb out of the hole because regardless of who they acquire, it still doesn't change the fact that this has been yet another failed season for Leafs Nation. But next year? We'll have to see what Burke does first to have any kind of idea determining just which direction the franchise is going in.