Brian Burke.

[Jigger]

The chances of the second-rounder being equal or greater than Kessel is infantessimally small. Hopefully the leafs make it to at least mid-pack next year and the first rounder the Bruins pick at that point will not be a proven goal scorer at the NHL level either. The chances of the first rounder this year? Pretty good assumption that it will be a good quality player. Will Hall or Seguin be at 30 goals next year? If yes, then this trade is at worst a wash.

 

And if Kadri is brought up and dissapoints? Then that too was a failure of a draft pick. If he does well? Then Burkies a genius. My guess is that Kadri is equal/ 1/2 step behind both Hall and Seguin.

[ADB]

Well, you quote me over the page, but I didn't bash him. I simply maintain he is not worth the draft picks they gave up for him even if he does score 30 goals. Burke said he would not trade draft picks away and its the first thing he did. I'll give you Kessel is young, but you will need way more than him to become contenders. Kessel is a solid player, but when you start comparing him...... top teams have 4 or even 5 players who have more points than him. If you change the players surrounding him will he become better? Only time will tell.

 

You're right Dutchy, only time will tell. To me, that is the most rational philosophy. Everyone knows Burke took a chance by trading the picks, but let's give it time to see if that risk pays off or not. It very well may pay off and the picks could turn into busts, or Hall/Seguin and next year's first rounder could turn into superstars. The people who are saying that Hall of Seguin will definitively be better than Kessel are just being ignorant.

 

I wasn't referring to you specifically, but just the general feeling about that move Burke made. It's all good.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I think Brian Burke is a great GM.He really knows his hockey and how the business side operates.I might very well start watching hockey again full time.

 

Phil Kessel was an awesome trade. 30 goal scorer? I see a guy with 50 goal potential.

 

He's young, talented and has proven himself.

 

As far as Wilson? Not good enough(How he was chosen to coach the US olympic team, I dont know.lol).

 

We need a more defense oriented coach/team.I like Kaberle alot but lets face it? He is replaceable, but his market value is very high right now and we can get alot in return. I say trade him for scoring power or a solid stay at home defenseman.

 

What we also need is a solid checking line to protect leads, like Pat Burns did.

 

On that note?The Ponikarovsky trade was a BIG mistake. He was a consistent 20 goal scorer and CHEAP!With alot more potential.

 

Giguère? Great goaltender and workhorse. We dont need Gustavson anymore. Trade him or let him go. He still has good market value.

 

The leafs should do well next season.

[jediangler]

Gustavson just signed for two more years with the Leafs. Right now the Leafs have almost $9million tied up in Goaltenders towards the cap.

[Oggie]

Kessle is a good player but he's been listening to Don Cherry too long. Shoot the PUCK! No pass the damn puck when you can clearly see the other player is wide open. He shoots on a clear cut 2 on 1. Every goalie plays shot with Kessle. He's a selfish player and he will disappear when it gets physical. It's a bad trade and time will prove it.

 

Dan O.

[Dutchy]

The people who are saying that Hall of Seguin will definitively be better than Kessel are just being ignorant.

 

I agree with that. Tavares for example has been good, but not great. But he is not on a great team. The Crosby's, Ovechkin's and Malkin's of the world, guys who can actually make a team better on their own, are few and far between. My take on TO is that they do a bad job of getting support players. Washington probably have done the best job of that this year. Also look at Burrows? Is he great, not really, but he hammers in 67 points (12 more than Kessel) in the regular season because he plays with the Sedins. Burke wanted the Sedin's in TO badly, just couldn't tempt them in the end.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Gustavson just signed for two more years with the Leafs. Right now the Leafs have almost $9million tied up in Goaltenders towards the cap.

 

That sucks. We can get Hasek in net and it wont make much of a difference. We have no defense. We should concentrate on building a good defense. Good defense make bad goalies look good. Bad defense makes good goalies look bad.

 

In other words? Most of the time, good defense is more important than good goaltending. And its also great for the goalie's confidence and mental game. Even if your down, you know you can come back.

 

Giguère is good enough and is used to playing alot of games.

 

We need some solid stay at home defense men with stamina. Especially when we are protecting leads.

Edited April 17, 2010 by Johnny Bass

[JohnF]

Also look at Burrows? Is he great, not really, but he hammers in 67 points (12 more than Kessel) in the regular season because he plays with the Sedins.

 

He played 12 more game as well. It definitely helps to play all season with the top scorer in the NHL and his not too shabby brother as well. No way of knowing how Kessel might have done in those circumstances.

 

Kessel's not much of a passer yet, and he sure isn't a mucker, but he sure can control the puck in the offensive zone, and if he gets one guys who can bully their way into the slot he might just start to rack up some pretty good pointage. As for the hitting, if he can collect points I'll settle for a hitter as strong as Gretzky was.

 

JF

[Paulus]

Kessel is what he is: a proven, young scorer who in all probability will score consistently for the Leafs for the foreseeable future. That, and a reasonable expectation that his presence might fast-track the rebuild, were the prime motivations for the Kessel trade.

 

Don't get me wrong, as much as I like Kessel, I wasn't overly enthused when I heard about the trade. But as has been said, I don't think that Burke expected to provide the Bruins with a top two draft pick this year. Then again, imo he must have considered the possibility of it. I'm also not so sure that he didn't provide the Bruins with a top ten pick next year, despite having put down a solid foundation for future improvement.

 

The risk lies not only in how high the draft picks go, but what those players eventually do. If Boston gets two or even just one frachise-type player out of the deal, then Toronto clearly loses on the trade, since Kessel is not really a franchise player; but that has yet to be seen, and it's a tall order. To judge the trade as a bust now is unfair to the player we got, and it's needlessly pessimistic because...

 

Even if we lose the Kessel trade, we still got a guy who's going to score regularly for this team year-in year-out. He fits into the plan that Burke is implementing (despite his on-ice lack of truculence). Let's just enjoy the ride and see how it all pans out.

 

 

p.-