San Jose out in the first round. Vancouver blasting into the second. Anaheim showing shades of their Stanley Cup champion form.
All three occurences are to the surprise of the naysayers, and the delight of our very own Brian Burke, Dave Nonis and Ron Wilson.
Wilson was labelled as a coach that could develop players well but couldn't lead them to the later rounds of the playoffs. Todd McLellan was brought in to help lead the Sharks to a longer postseason, but it didn't happen this year. Hey, at least they didn't give us any false signs, dropping the first two games of their opening round series against the Ducks.
Those Ducks were built in part by Brian Burke, and though he isn't responsible for the drafting of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, his other moves have panned out well. Current Ducks starter Jonas Hiller is proving his reliability as an NHL starter, while Bobby Ryan is emerging as one of the future 'Big Three' on the Ducks, playing with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Chris Pronger, a free agent signing by Burke, has been a rock for the team.
Burke didn't build the Ducks, but he put them over the edge, and contributed to a solid foundation for the future. So much for his supposed departure from the organization while it was 'in shambles'. To think that people were calling for the Ducks to retool and send Niedermayer or Pronger elsewhere on the trade deadline, and they've knocked off the President's Trophy winner.
Our V.P. of Hockey Operations and ex-Canuck GM Dave Nonis, can be credited with luring Roberto Luongo to Vancouver in lopsided trade with the Panthers that sent Todd Bertuzzi the other way. Nonis also hired Vancouver's benchboss Alain Vigneault, who won the Jack Adams trophy for top regular season coach in 2007.
While Wilson may have been a part of the choking problem in San Jose, he certainly wasn't it's central feature, as demonstrated by this year's first round collapse.
Burke and Nonis certainly take pride in the work they've done with their past clubs, and they can crack a grin as the monsters they created take on a life of their own.
Burke, Wilson and Nonis All Smiling
Would Burke Trade Up in the Draft?
Interesting article from the Toronto Sun. They like to stir things up, and there's probably not a lot to it, but for what it's worth it's an interesting notion.
They're claiming that Burke "is expected to take a run at the top overall pick (and John Tavares) by attempting to trade up. His trump card? The organization has the monetary resources to spice up a deal, especially with a financially strapped team."
I highly doubt that Burke would be able to wrestle the top pick from the Islanders, who are in dire need of a superstar like Tavares. I think the first pick this year is untouchable, and certainly out of the price range Burke would consider.
Nevertheless, if Burke believes that the player he wants will be gone before 7th, he might have to move. It's unfortunate that this situation might cost us something big, when we could have easily fallen a few spots in the draft by just losing a bit more.
Nonetheless, we are where we are. I say we just stay 7th. We'll get someone good.
I'm going to do a full first round preview, but if you look at the rankings, we're sure to get a very good player at the seventh pick. He'res my projecting of the first seven picks, assuming that the Islanders win the lottery.
1. John Tavares - NYI
2. Victor Hedman - TBL
3. Matt Duchene - COL
4. Magnus Paajarvi-Svennson - ATL
5. Evander Kane - LAK
6. Jared Cowen - PHX
7. ? - TOR
Who will the Leafs select?
There are certainly a few names that Toronto could consider, including Brayden Schenn, Jordan Schroeder, Nazem Kadri, Dmitri Kulikov, Ryan Ellis, Simon Despres and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Out of those, the most likely to be considered are Schenn, Schroeder and Kadri, all forwards.
Of the teams in the top seven, the most likely to trade their pick for stars in their prime is probably either the LA Kings or Tampa Bay Lightning.
If either of those teams were to win the lottery, thus giving them the first pick, they would consider moving it for the right price.
Burke's Kaberle Conundrum
As the countdown to the trade deadline kicks into motion, one thing which seems to have been taken for granted thus far, doesn't seem such a sure thing any more.
That is, the notion that Kaberle would be packing his bags for prospects and picks come the March 4th deadline. Broken hand and all, in likelihood Kaberle will be full in play at this year's trade deadline.
Yes, he almost got moved prior to the deadline last season, but that was on Cliff Fletcher's watch, a man given permission to blow the team up. Burke, it seems, might be planning on using a scalpel to repair this team, not a jackhammer.
Sure, it's a hell of a fun time to see what kind of return our top players might yield on the deadline, but then there's the reality that Burke might actually like some of those players staying put for the near future.
After all, Kaberle is a top-end offensive defenseman with a reasonable contract. He's a player that teams such as Ottawa and Tampa Bay wish they had. Both clubs actively sought to get a top end defenseman this summer, and they failed.
What do those two teams also have in common? They were picked to make the playoffs. Both will not see the postseason this year.
Burke himself stated that the problem with moving Kaberle is the truth that he would have to spend all offseason looking for a replacement. Maybe that's a challenge he just doesn't feel up to.
The fact is that Burke is only going to move Kaberle if the offer knocks him off his feet.
Last year the team was ready to trade him away for Jeff Carter and a first-rounder, but Kaberle exercized his no-trade clause and the motion was nixed. Now it seems the drag of losing has eroded Kaberle's reluctance to consider a trade.
If an offer similar to that of last season comes along, then Burke might just move on it. And come on, people, Kaberle isn't old.
Kaberle Makes First Move in Fuelling Trade Rumours
Earlier today Tomas Kaberle was asked by reporters about his no trade clause, and he admitted that if asked, he would waive it. This isn't surprising to me, really. Kaberle knows that if he chooses not to waive it, he'll just be a lame duck with a team out of the playoffs.
For a guy who's career future probably doesn't lie in Toronto, that's not a very good game plan. Burke has the right to move Kaberle after the June draft (as well as Kubina) if the Leafs do not make the playoffs. Kaberle and Kubina know that they are both big parts of whether the Leafs make the playoffs, but they also know that they are not in the team's future plans.
I feel like the breaking point for these guys like Kaberle and Kubina was when it became apparent that Mats wouldn't be returning to the team this season. There's one thing all players want, and that is to win, and have some security. Without Mats, and within an organization that wants to restock its prospect cupboard, its not hard to see why Kaberle knows that his time in Toronto is reaching its end.
Like McCabe before him, Kaberle is likely to make a list of teams that he's interest in and present it to Burke, before he chooses to waive his no trade clause. I really don't expect this to happen any time soon, as I know Burke will first try to create a race throughout the league for his assets - Kubina, Kaberle, Ponikarovsky, Toskala, Antropov and perhaps Stajan.
To Leafs fans - I ask you to be patient with Burke. There will be lots and lots of rumours about potential trades in the upcoming weeks, but Burke knows how to play his cards right. He will wait until teams are desperate, and perhaps out of other options.
Burke Busy With Family; Ron Wilson Speaks About Possible Trades in Leafland
Today Ron Wilson was approached about whether the Leafs have had any contact with the Blue Jackets, and he essentially said that it's not his job to deal with that stuff.
That being said, Burke is busy right now moving his family from Anaheim to Toronto. Indeed, Wilson also made a good point by saying that right now the teams that want to make an upgrade to their rosters can't because of cap restrictions.
That's why it's understandable that Columbus is a primary target for Columbus-Toronto trade rumours. Columbus has a decent amount of cap space left, about 6.4 million. Just enough to fit a puck-moving defenseman like Pavel Kubina, or an Antropov plus someone else.
Columbus is a team that wants to prove to its fans that its committed to making the playoffs, and their fanbase and attendance is slowly easing away after a long honeymoon since they began as a franchise in 2000.
Burke at the World Junior Game Today; Burke Wants Draft Picks
For anyone who was watching the Russia-Czech Republic game today would have seen that Brian Burke was there, as was Daryll Sutter. Could be interesting to know if the two talked about their respective teams. Probably nothing, though. The two are simply good friends. Seems odd that the two would get the time to watch this game, but there are a few prospects to watch in this one - notably Tomas Vincour on the Czech side, and Dmitri Kulikov on the Russian side.
From what Burke said to the TSN panel, he hasn't heard any offers of real value yet. That will change, the closer we get to the trade deadline. Burke admitted he wants more draft picks, and said he is unlikely to trade up in the draft - mostly because it costs you later draft picks. Seems like hes got his head on straight!