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Leafs Deadline Shouldn't Surprise Many

Brian Burke was very clear about his job going into this deadline.

He told us he wanted to get back the picks that we lost with Fletcher at the helm. He got exactly that - two second rounders and a fourth rounder - the two rounds we had no picks in this year.

He told us he was going to try to take on salary for picks - he did that with the Kolzig and Heward deal to secure the fourth round pick.

He also told us he was reluctant to move Kaberle. He followed up again.

He also only moved the players which were pending UFAs that have some value. Not surprisingly he's leaving the rest of work til the summer, where he can maximize player's value the smart way.

If he traded either Kaberle or Kubina to a certain ten teams, Burke would have always wondered what the other 19 might have put together. I don't know why this didn't cross my mind, but it makes sense that he would want to wait until the summer to take advantage of a larger market.

Burke is showing a certain amount of patience I'm not sure many believed he had. Yes, he is bold, but he is just as patient. Just like the kind of hockey player builds his teams around, Burke plays on the edge but has the smarts and demeanor to get the job done right.

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