tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Burke Knows Next Year Must Be The Year

Brian Burke's press conference yesterday was classic Burke and is why I'm glad he's in charge of the Maple Leafs.  It's obvious he has a plan to make this team relevant again.  It's obvious that he wants this team in the playoffs.  And it's obvious that Burke and his management team have put in place the building blocks to make it happen provided that the right decisions are made this summer.

What those right decisions are will be dictated by the marketplace and Burke is adept at dealing with that.  Brad Richards is the top free agent but I think it would be a major surprise if Richards ends up a Leaf.  After him the free agent pool falls off dramatically as far as getting a top six forward and Burke has acknowledged that he needs to get a center for Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.  Which then would mean that the Leafs would have to look at a trade.

Trades of course mean you need to have a willing partner.  Time will tell if there is something out there for Burke to work on.  What's clear is that it will have to make sense as evidenced by how long Burke took to make the Kaberle trade which currently looks like could be a big win for the Leafs if Joe Colborne continues to develop.  Burke has been reluctant to trade for players 30 or over, a wise move as far as I'm concerned.  But the critical question for Burke will be: does it make sense to acquire a 20-something top six center by giving up a combination of draft picks and top prospects.

If he decides that there isn't a trade that makes sense and he holds on to his picks and prospects is there someone within the organization that will be able to fill out the line with Kessel and Lupul?  Could that person be Colborne??  I liked what I saw last Saturday particularly how Colborne went to the net and wasn't afraid to mix it up with Carey Price and Paul Mara.  It's something that is desperately needed.  However, one game is not enough to judge though Colborne has looked good with the Marlies.

The issue of special teams was raised with Burke yesterday and he acknowledged that if they were better the Leafs would be in the playoffs.  While to some extent I understand that the players bear responsibility for their dismal performance, I just find it hard to believe that the coaching staff does not have a hand in its performance.  Particularly, the penalty kill which I think is less dependent on offensive ability and the desire to go to the net, and more dependent on hard work, winning face offs and a lot of guts.  Definitely, goaltending is important but I think penalty killing is a mind set and I think the coach has a lot to do with setting that mind set by rewarding those who excel at it by giving them some added ice time in other situations.  I'm not advocating the firing of Ron Wilson, but I think Burke is giving his coach a pass by not holding him accountable for the dismal special teams play.  There are no more excuses here as these are Burke's players now and the dreaded Blue & White disease should be long gone.  Wilson should get an extension with a short leash.

The key questions are: do you make a trade for a top line center or do you rely on players in the system and keep all draft picks to add more assests?  Do you acquire a puck moving defenseman or are you convinced that Carl Gunnarsson or Jake Gardiner can fill that role?? Of the role players, Joey Crabb, Tim Brent and Darryl Boyce, who do you keep or do you go out and get these type of bottom six forwards elsewhere hopefully with more size??  Who will back-up James Reimer and what is the future of Jonas Gustavsson??

These are the questions that Brian Burke needs to answer.  The answers will determine whether the Leafs are in the post season next year and Brian Burke knows that.  He knows that its time to get into the playoffs.