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Go Leafs Go - Fan Forum 08/09


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Classic Ecklund line:
I also believe this trade tells us that Burke is all but locked up in Toronto...

Huh? I fail to see the connection.

From the reports on the tv, it sounds like Burke is going to be the GM. Even though this is the Leafs, I would think that he knew of the deal and approved of it. I would hope that they are not that inept. On a side note, I think Cliff Fletcher has done a great job as the GM, his second time around. I was very skeptical at first, but things seem to be headed in the right direction.

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excerpted from here

Last spring, the Leafs badly wanted Brian Burke to be their new GM but couldn't get him and so they shut down their search for a new hockey boss.

Now, Burke's available immediately and not only are the Leafs taking their sweet time signing him, they're allowing another executive to make trades at the same time they're negotiating with Burke.

Cliff Fletcher, meanwhile, said he ran yesterday's deal past president Richard Peddie and every blue-blooded Leafs fan will be thrilled to know Peddie apparently approved of the trade.

You can bet Burke would never, ever ask Peddie's thoughts on a hockey transaction. Maybe it's no surprise that the Leafs president – a man who stands to lose his title and authority if Burke signs on – seems perfectly happy to let Fletcher remain in charge indefinitely.

While former GM John Ferguson Jr. didn't have authority to order stationery or send out for pizza before being fired in January, Fletcher apparently has carte blanche to make all manner of moves designed to put short-term needs ahead of long-term goals.

He's traded away numerous draft picks, something teams in the Leafs' current predicament usually don't do, and was intrigued by the notion of dealing next year's first-rounder to Anaheim for prospect Bobby Ryan.

This is a team that requires patience and direction. Fletcher, who hasn't been part of a winning organization for more than a decade, is offering neither.

Burke, who won a Stanley Cup two years ago, was ready to take over last week, but now is essentially being told to cool his jets.

He should be wondering why in the world he'd want to join such a ridiculous organization.

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Maybe it's no surprise that the Leafs president – a man who stands to lose his title and authority if Burke signs on – seems perfectly happy to let Fletcher remain in charge indefinitely.

Hal, thats a pretty decent working theory at the moment let alone their penchant for 'yes' men.

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Ad and Booche:

I just dont get Cox's agenda these days. Grabovsky and Hagman can 'play' and they're young. Stajan is coming into his own with the increased work load and he's living up to offensive expectations. Antropov is staying healthy and is a well respected contributer. While their defence has been suspect, they havent been aweful if you look at the shots for and against game in game out. I'd say Toskala has been the biggest reason for a lot of their losses this year - he's been aweful. They are building a core group that gives much more hope for the future than in recent years.

Im not saying their team is playoff bound or anything, but at least they seems to be heading in the right direction. They are still a few major moves away from being a contender, but at least there's a glimmer of hope.

Cox seems hell-bent on stifling that hope, but all he seems to offer in the way of suggestion is "trade for draft picks". Aside from a couple of "diamonds in the rough" that come out of each class, your not guaranteed anything more than picking up more Steens in the draft. To me it seems like fletcher is putting together a team of young guys with skill to put the puck in the net, which is a lot better than anyone has tried to do in recent years.

Also, no one around here was expecting anything different form the Leafs this year, but Cox seems to make it a point day in day out to point out that Leaf fans are expecting a cup and that he's the only one in the entire North America who sees it for what it is, and he's wrong in that assumption.

He may be right about the Burke situation, but my innitial comment wasnt really about that, it was about Cox in general.

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Well there you have it, Cox jumped the gun in his first article, failing to realize the intricies of signing a deal I suppose. Sorry Damien, that it wasnt done as quickly as you would have liked.

Cox wrote in above article:

"Theoretically, Burke could have signed a deal Sunday or Monday, but is now committed to stay in the Boston-area with his family through his daughter's bridal shower on Friday."

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Doug MacLean had a few reservations about this trade today on The Fan. He worried that Stempniak's contract is up next year and he wondered why the trade happened before Burke steps in.
As for Doug MacLean's views on yesterday's trade: where was he off-base?

not much info to go on there

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I caught the game last night - only thing on sports-wise, other than the Knicks game. Anyway, Atlanta played very aggressively. Their defense pounded the Leafs, especially Slater and Exelby. Kovalchuk was good (not much of a fight with White, but it was nice to see) and so was Little and Todd White (Ottawa never really replaced him). Toronto's White was the only Leaf D that played with any fire.

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