Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, made yet another transaction, on Friday, and is wisely stockpiling draft picks, in his deals with the Flyers in trading Kris Versteeg for first and third round picks, and now in moving Tomas Kaberle to the Bruins.
In return for the veteran Leafs defenseman, Toronto gets Boston’s first round pick in 2011, a conditional second-round pick, and Joe Colborne, the Bruins first round pick in 2008. Kaberle can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Boston GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN.com: “He’s a guy that we want to re-sign……I think it would be smooth sailing to sign him when it comes to that time. So it’s an important part of this deal because we are giving up significant assets.” The Bruins still have Toronto’s first round pick for 2011, as part of the Phil Kessel trade.
Colborne is 6 foot 5, 190 pounds, and was selected 16th overall. The University Of Denver alumnus, had 12 goals and 14 assists for Providence of the AHL this season. Burke likes the total package he presents: “ He brings a unique combination of skill, vision, and size.” He will start with the Toronto Marlies, also in the AHL.
Burke had also acquired Joffrey Lopul and a prospect from Anaheim on February 9, in exchange for Francois Beauchemin.
The Leafs general manager has wisely articulated that just squeezing into the playoffs, and likely being eliminated fairly quickly by a top team, doesn’t really do much for the future of the team, as opposed to moving assets, which can bring back draft picks and prospects to the Leafs. As noted in the Toronto Sun, Burke stated: “ The notion of getting in eighth and getting spanked in the first round,doesn’t do a lot for me and I don’t think it does a lot for our marketplace.” Smart Leafs fans will be thrilled to hear that. These are the moves that should have been made after the lockout ended, but then general manager John Ferguson, was allegedly told that to keep his job, he had to focus on making the playoffs, and not rebuilding the team. Ferguson’s preference was to overhaul the Maple Leafs, but to keep his job, he had to follow the directions of the ownership of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. This was obviously a terrible decision by M.L.S.and E., and the blue and white have not participated in the playoffs since 2004.
Teams like the Penguins, Capitals, and Blackhawks chose to hang on to their top draft picks, and the results speak for themselves. Compare what those teams have accomplished in recent years, as opposed to Toronto’s embarrassing post-lockout record, and it is quite clear as to which organizations made the proper moves with their rosters.
The Maple Leafs will have to keep their first round draft selections for several years. There is no quick fix in constructing a championship contender. Now it is up to Burke’s scouts, to find the right players, who can most help Toronto, to turn around their Stanley Cup drought, which goes back to 1967, both as a winner, and as a finalist.
Fear of failure in the draft, as a reason for trading away picks, is a sure way to ensure a franchise never has any hope of reaching championship caliber,and also indicates that the organization in question, has no clue when it comes to finding top scouts. Why should that be any different than finding the most qualified coach, or general manager ? This is sometimes referred to as doing your homework. What a fascinating concept ! Those who propose trading draft picks because of past scouting failures, have failed to understand what is at the core of the most successful franchises in almost all professional sports.