Why the Leafs Don't Need Tavares
by Chemmy on Jan 2, 2009 1:00 PM EST
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That's right. I said it. The Maple Leafs don't need John Tavares. That's not to say that John Tavares wouldn't be a wonderful Leaf, and it's not to say that if the Leafs end up with the first draft pick that John Tavares would be a bad selection, but tanking for Tavares is probably a little drastic.
John Tavares is an amazing goal scorer. Scoring goals wins games, so that's got to be the cure for the Leafs woes. Without Sundin the Leafs don't have any big goal scorers. Well, that's conjecture, here are some facts. On the offensive side of the puck, the Leafs have the NHL's 10th ranked power play (20.4%), ahead of Pittsburgh (17.5%), Montreal (14.1%), and Vancouver (17.2%). The Leafs are 8th in the league in goals for, with 116, only 4GF behind Pittsburgh.
The Leafs troubles aren't offensive in nature, the Leafs have defensive and goaltending problems. Think about Atlanta and Tampa. They've been stacked with snipers for years, and have been as bad as ever post lockout which levelled the salary playing field to allow them to compete.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are 29th in goals against, with 137 allowed. The Atlanta Thrashers have allowed 139. The Toronto Maple Leafs are 28th in penalty kill success, ahead of Atlanta and Edmonton.
Here's the December ISS top 30:
1. Victor Hedman, LD 12/18/1990 L 6.06 220 Modo SweE
2. John Tavares, C 9/20/1990 L 6.00 200 Oshawa OHL
3. Matt Duchene, C 1/16/1991 L 5.11 196 Brampton OHL
4. Jared Cowen, LD 1/25/1991 L 6.04.7 218 Spokane WHL
5. Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi, LW 4/12/1991 L 6.01 198 Timra SweE
6. Jordan Schroeder, RW 9/29/1990 R 5.08.2 175 Minnesota WCHA
7. Evander Kane, C 8/2/1991 L 6.01 180 Vancouver WHL
8. Nazem Kadri, C 10/6/1990 L 5.11.5 180 London OHL
9. Richard Panik, C 2/7/1991 L 6.01 202 Trinec CzeJr
10. Brayden Schenn, C 8/22/1991 L 6.00 193 Brandon WHL
11. Drew Shore, C 1/29/1991 R 6.02 190 USA Under-18 NTDP
12. Jeremy Morin, C 4/16/1991 R 6.00.5 189 USA Under-18 NTDP
13. Dmitri Kulikov, LD 10/29/1990 L 6.00 190 Drummondville QMJHL
14. Zack Kassian, RW 1/24/1991 R 6.02.5 212 Peterborough OHL
15. Simon Despres, LD 7/27/1991 L 6.03.5 214 Saint John QMJHL
16. Ryan Ellis, RD 1/3/1991 R 5.09.2 183 Windsor OHL
17. Jacob Josefson, C 3/2/1991 L 6.00 187 Djurgarden SweE
18. Stefan Elliott, LD 1/30/1991 R 6.00.2 185 Saskatoon WHL
19. Scott Glennie, C 2/22/1991 R 6.01 180 Brandon WHL
20. Peter Holland, C 1/14/1991 L 6.01.5 188 Guelph OHL
21. Landon Ferraro, RW 8/8/1991 R 5.11 169 Red Deer WHL
22. Tommi Kivisto, RD 6/7/1991 L 6.00.5 198 Red Deer WHL
23. Louis Leblanc, C 1/26/1991 R 6.00 178 Omaha USHL
24. Taylor Doherty, RD 3/2/1991 R 6.06.5 217 Kingston OHL
25. Ethan Werek, C 6/7/1991 L 6.00.5 191 Kingston OHL
26. John Moore, LD 11/19/1990 L 6.02 189 Chicago USHL
27. Carl Klingberg, LW 1/28/1991 R 6.03 205 V. Frolunda SweJE
28. Joonas Nattinen, C 1/3/1991 R 6.02 176 Espoo FinJrA
29. Anton Lander, LW 4/24/1991 L 6.00 187 Timra SweE
30. Erik Haula, LW 3/23/1991 L 5.11 170 Shattuck-St. MN-HS
The Leafs need a stud goaltender and to shore up their defense. There aren't any first round goalies in the ISS rankings so it's probably best the Leafs concentrate on defense. One of very few undrafted players on the Canadian WJHC team this year is defenseman Ryan Ellis, who's sitting at sixteenth in the ISS rankings, most likely due to his age. Assuming Ellis actually goes 16th, it's not unreasonable to think that Toronto could acquire a first round pick in that neighborhood by moving Kaberle or Kubina on draft day when they won't have their NTCs. Depending on team's needs, Jared Cowen (ranked 4th) could still be around when the Leafs draft between 5-8 in all likelihood.
On the management side, Brian Burke knows how to make a blockbuster draft day deal, and Cliff Fletcher is still ready to swindle other GMs. If Toronto moves one of their big two blueliners and manages to draft Cowen and Ellis in the first round, will that not have been a good performance on draft day? Consider Anaheim's cup run, steadied by Pronger and Niedermayer. Consider Toronto with two really good defensemen who are ready to go at 19 and contribute while still on entry level contracts.
This is a lot of speculation and conjecture, but the point is that the Maple Leafs don't need to tank to rebuild. John Tavares might score goals, but the Leafs have more pressing issues. I hope Tavares enjoys his years on Long Island.
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Pffft you know my two step Cowen-Ellis plan is amazing, I expect Cliffy to contact me by the end of the day.
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Ryan Ellis looks like a draft steal. Kid is slick on the blue line.
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The WJHC is going to boost his stock. I don’t see him lasting until 16th.
by Darryl Sittler's 10 Pt Night on Jan 2, 2009 4:52 PM EST up reply actions
you draft the best player availabe in the first round...
after that, it’s by positional needs. unless they draft in the top three, it’s kind of a crap shoot…
that said. Tavares want’s to be a Leaf, a la Lindros circa 1991 draft. You remember when he finally signed with the Leafs, how much joy was in that smile on big E’s face…? If we have any shot at Tavares, I think Burke will go for it.
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 1:06 PM EST reply actions
We don’t need offense, and the cost to trade up for Tavares is going to be enormous. The Leafs will not end up with the 1st overall draft pick.
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not by lottery...
of course not.
all i’m saying is, there’s something “storybook” about tavares being the kind of talent teams drool over, like Eric was. And that Burke is the kind of guy that is a sucker for that sort of thing. That said, the draft is deep on D men. Kubina can pick up and slack from the Kabby loss, and Schenn will have another year under his belt for the 09-10 season…
i am kinda warming up to the idea of brayden schenn. I know jared’s a big fan of the two schenn approach
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
I do like a double Schenn situation.
If i was drafting two top 10ers I’d probably go with a power forward like Schenn 2.0 and Cow Cow.
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Jan 2, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly
That would make me very, very happy.
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
Goalies
I expect at least one of the picks in the first three rounds to go on a goalie.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Jan 2, 2009 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
has to...
especially if reimer gets a longer look in the ahl this year, and pogge gets the reigns handed to him late in the season for the big club
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, the Leafs should burn a second rounder on the best goalie available.
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Agreed: You guys don't need him
So hands off; we’ll take him.
But if Burke comes a-askin’, kindly include the 2009 equivalent of: pre-NHL Petr Forsberg, Mike Ricci, $15 million U.S. — no, make that $45 million U.S., some such Antropov, that Schenn boy over there, and a bottle of wine. And do tell Burke not to go all Clarke on the prize prospect, lest things get icky again.
Wait, I’m getting soooo ahead of myself here …
(Speaking of Lindros and Schenn brothers, though, oh how we Isles lifers remember pre-concussed Brett, #75 in our program. What a strange path things can take between pre-draft hype and early retirement…)
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Cowen.
That is all.
Ain't nothing but puck drops and poke checks, babydoll.
by Wrap Around Curl on Jan 2, 2009 1:38 PM EST reply actions
i get the goaltending issue...
and the last thing i want to be seen as is the Ottawa sens, top heavy without a solid goaltender, but with goalies, you’re talking years of development…
honestly, if Pogge isn’t the answer, then mgmt needs to find someone who is ASAP. And not through the draft.
Yes, cowen comes with the Wrap stamp of approval, and he’s huge. However, when was the last time we had a guy who could break a game wide open offensively? Someone who could take control of a game and dictate the play of the other team? I don’t even think of Sundin or Gilmour as in that level of skill, and Tavares really looks like the kind of guy that could just undress teams on a nightly basis…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 1:53 PM EST reply actions
Well argued, but that doesn’t change the fact that my Tav-erection has lasted more than four hours. Should I call a doctor?
Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.
Tavar-hardon
That’s what it’s called.
Ain't nothing but puck drops and poke checks, babydoll.
by Wrap Around Curl on Jan 2, 2009 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
We don't need Ellis either,
He wouldn’t help the goals against very much. An undersized, slick puck handling, D man, is NOT going to lower our goals against.
Jared Cowen would. Victor Hedman definitely would. After that, if the best player available is an offensive minded forward, the Leafs could definitely use an injection of skill.
I agree that D is what the Leafs need to improve at, but D can be coached, and systems do a world of good in that area. Good goaltending is something that’s hard to get ahold of in the NHL, but again… if the right systems are in place, and adhered to, the numbers will improve over time. Toskala has shown in the past he is capable of playing well in the Wilson system. Pogge showed last year in the AHL that he can post solid numbers with a good defensive team in front of him. I see no reason to believe the Leafs won’t develop defensively over time. Players that don’t stick to the system will be shown the door.
I sincerely doubt the Leafs will draft Ellis… and I wouldn’t argue in favour of it, no matter how much I enjoy watching the kid work the point on the power play. He’s a luxury, not a necessity on any winning team.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
I agree he’s a luxury, and agree that the Leafs primary concern should be getting the goals against down with goaltending.
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I like the idea
Then we’d have three super studs on defence. And who the fuck wouldn’t be happy about that?
If we draft first overall, we’re taking Tavares. But we’re not going to draft first overall, because we’re the Leafs, and good things like that never happen to us.
So, that being said, this is a good idea. It will be interesting to see how Burke maneuvers on draft day.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
tavares in blue and white...
would be incredible. you rarely find gems on the offense side of things. d men can be uncovered a little more readily (think Rafalski going unsigned, and our own Frogren has certainly grown leaps and bounds in the few weeks he’s had NHL action.) we’ve already got schenn as a capable d-man (he’s only 19, I’m not going to say he’s the next Scott Stevens or anything…yet.)
Of Ourse, Burke has said he builds his teams from the net out, and that means his first focus will be on either dumping Toskala for a proven number one, or putting all his eggs in the Pogge basket. Then comes the defense, and I don’t think ours looks terrible, but could use some tweaking…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
You’re kidding right? Frogren is terrible.
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Now you’re kidding me right?
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Jan 2, 2009 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
Jonas Frogren has the highest GAON/60 of anyone on the Leafs besides Jaime Sifers.
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Curse you, lousy facts!
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Sure
throw ‘facts’ in our face. Jerk.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Jan 2, 2009 5:41 PM EST up reply actions
froggy's not terrible...
he’s not amazing. i said “improved”
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
He’s the worst defender on one of the worst defensive teams in the league. As soon as Schenn and Van Ryn come back, he and Sifers are history.
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sifers...
is horrible.
froggy is the victim of a terrible goaltender…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 5:20 PM EST up reply actions
Does the rest of the Leafs’ D play in front of a different goaltender?
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no...
but as you pointed out, we are “one of the worst defensive teams in the league.”
Sifers is terrible because he coughs up the puck with such regularity, you’d think he was allergic to it.
The rest of the team are the victims of poor goaltending.
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 6:07 PM EST up reply actions
Frogren is the worst of a bad bunch. We didn’t give up anything to get him, it was a neat experiment, I hope he doesn’t mind not playing unless people are hurt.
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Frogren is not as terrible as you're claiming...
And he doesn’t have the worst GA/60 minutes on the Leafs D other than Sifers at Even Strength.
Tomas Kaberle is worse at Even Strength, and according to that statistic Anton Stralman and Ian White are the best defensive pairing on the Leafs. I find that a bit ridiculous. You need to consider who the D men are playing against and a few other stats beyond GA/60.
Even on the PK, he’s very comparable to Jeff Finger and Tomas Kaberle… so I don’t really think that stat has a lot of value frankly.
If you consider the fact that he’s almost even with Luke Schenn in his hit frequency, which makes him the 2nd best “hitter” on the Leafs D, and he blocks shots with greater regularity than all the Leafs D other than Jeff Finger…
I think that paints a picture of a pretty decent Defensive D man. He is also the third most regularly penalized player on the team, so his toughness and pugnacity should not be in question. He shows jam where most of the Leafs D fail to.
I like Frogren and as he adjusts over time I think his numbers on D will improve drastically.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
all that...
and he has an epic goatee…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 7:04 PM EST up reply actions
If all you watched of Frogren was his first few games then concluding he is terrible would be accurate. But as blurr said, he has improved drastically over the past few weeks. I think he is a very solid option on the lower d pairings.
by Darryl Sittler's 10 Pt Night on Jan 2, 2009 4:56 PM EST up reply actions
I have to agree on this
Frogren was -5 through his first month in the NHL. He was a minus player in every game he played in except the opening night match up with Detroit. Since November started though, he is an even player on a team that has been atrocious defensively.
Yes he’s been on the ice for a lot of goals while the Leafs are down a man, but the PK hasn’t been his fault. Frankly I’d say he’s been one of the most solid penalty killers the Leafs have had night in and night out. The guy is a warrior who blocks shots like crazy. I don’t see a reason to bail on him as an NHLer yet.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
.
I bet Ryan Ellis will become a forward at the NHL level. Size isn’t as mandatory as it once was back then, but Ellis really pushes even the post-lockout boundaries. I can’t believe he’s listed at 5’10 178. He’s 5’8, 160 at most.
One thing he certainly won’t do is improve our own-zone play. There were talks pre-tournament that Ellis would exclusively play on the power-play for a reason. He’s purely offensive.
He’s definitely Ian White-small.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Jan 2, 2009 4:31 PM EST up reply actions
he needs...
a moustache
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
That’s a possibility. As much as big d-men are great though we’ll still need a puck mover going forward.
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bingo...
and, he’s actually got a bit of size to him. he’s not “hulking” but he’s noticeably bigger than ian white
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
I wouldn’t blow a first rounder on a defenceman who’s too small to handle opponents in the defensive zone, no matter how good he is offensively. A second rounder, maybe, but I think you could do better in the first round.
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
I’d love for the Leafs to end up with the first or second pick. I suspect that trading up would be too costly though and I don’t think the Leafs will finish in lottery range unless Burke strips the team down and/or the goaltending situation gets even worse.
If you pick second you pick whichever one of Hedman and Tavares is left. Not having seen much of Hedman I’d go with Tavares if I picked first. Not only is the kid dripping with skill, he seems to have the ability that truly great players have to come up big when his team needs it.
If you pick third or lower there are lots of guys who look good, there’s a drop off after Tavares and Hedman but I don’t know when the next obvious drop off comes and whether or not it makes sense to try to move up. I’m all for taking the best available player in the early rounds and thinking more about positional needs in the later round.
I also think that you can never have enough Schenn. I’d be very happy if the Leafs picked him. He obviously comes from good stock and he comes to play. The guy hits scores and fights – remind you of anyone?
Also, it may just be bitterness talking but I’d skip Magnus. I’ve seen him compared to Sundin or Forsberg but not as good, and that just doesn’t excite me.
and...
his last name is too long.
Brayden Schenn has really grown on me, though. I’d like to see something a little more exciting on the forward lines. And one that hits and fights and scores goals sounds like a safe bet…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions
It’d be fun to listen to Bob Cole try to say his name though, wouldn’t it?
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
We don't need another Wendel
I hate to bring up this point but… Wendel didn’t win any Cups.
Forsberg has a couple.
MSP over Schenn… who couldn’t even make the WJC for Canada. Sorry.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
If Wendel had stayed healthy, he would have won cups
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Jan 2, 2009 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
With which team?
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Paarjavi looks awesome.
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…and Boyd Devereux won a cup with Detroit so he’s better than Sundin…
Seriously though, Magnus is universally rated a better prospect than Schenn, and he may well end up a better NHLer. If you can choose between them, Paarjavi is probably the wise choice. A good power forward is something that the Leafs have been lacking though, and I love to watch guys who combine toughness and skill.
The ‘like Sundin or Forsberg but not as good’ came from a scouting report I read somewhere online and may or may not be accurate, I have no idea. My point though is that I’d prefer to see someone play Clark’s style than Sundin’s (especially right now), and everything else being equal, which it usually isn’t, I’d take the guy who hits and fights and scores and wears his heart on his sleeve any day.
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 8:49 PM EST up reply actions
MAGNUS!!!!
I’ve been touting this guy all season (check my not too subtle screams of Magnus in every draft related post). Braydon Schenn has not had a very good season up till this point, and you won’t find many people arguing that he is a better prospect than Magnus. Furthermore, the ceiling of Magnus is a lot closer to Tavares than people want to admit.
The health issue isn't relevant
Peter Forsberg couldn’t stay healthy and he still won cups.
Wendel had his one real chance the year they lost to the Kings in the Conference Finals… and frankly that year was an unexpected joy ride through the playoffs.
The Leafs were never serious Cup Contenders as long as Wendel was on the team.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
true, but if you had Clark in Forsbergs position and Forsberg in Clarks position, then I doubt the cups would have followed Forsberg to the Leafs
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Jan 2, 2009 7:37 PM EST up reply actions
also
i think the Leafs were pretty serious cup contenders in 93
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Jan 2, 2009 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
agreed...
felix was no roy.
gilmour was no sakic.
which brings up the other point. Forsberg and Sakic centered seperate lines 5 on 5, so one of them always had the luxury of not facing the opposing teams top d or shut down line.
wendel had dougie, and dougie had wendel…
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 2, 2009 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
The way I remember it, by the end of that series Gilmour was playing injured and the whole team seemed to be running out of gas except Wendel who very nearly carried the team into the finals but was outperformed by Gretzky.
Maybe you can look at a guy like Chris Pronger and say that he has been a big reason that the teams he’s played for have won cups but to judge a player by whether or not he’s won a cup is as a rule completely just plain silly.
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 8:57 PM EST up reply actions
And Chris Pronger took quite a few years (and not to mention some brushes with the law) before he became the dominating, though still douchy, defenseman.
I love the Bryzlagov interview in Edmonton about Pronger.
by Mirinov's Nose on Jan 2, 2009 9:17 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not basing it on whether or not he won cups in such a simplistic fashion...
I just mean that Forsberg was far more integral to a Stanley Cup winning franchise than Wendel was to a series of non-Stanley Cup winning franchises. Forsberg went all the way to the finals and performed admirably on that stage numerous times… Clark never got that far.
They both have a long history of injury issues, and both were warriors. Clark would win in a fist fight, but I’m pretty sure Forsberg had a lot more skill at his disposal.
If I’m building a club and I could take either one in the draft, I pick Forsberg… sorry.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
Too Funny....
Was reading Alec’s post over on Hockey Buzz for some reason, and not his MLHS site. Kind of glad I did.
Here’s the first sentence of the second paragraph from Hockey Buzz:
The debate as to which position Burke should look to bolster with his first-rounder this summer is preliminarily underway over at , as Chemmy attempts to
And here it is from MLHS (emphasis mine)
The debate as to which position Burke should look to bolster with his first-rounder this summer is preliminarily underway over at Pension Plan Puppets, as Chemmy attempts to
either MLHS has better editors, of WCH has you guys blocked…congrats!
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Jan 3, 2009 2:58 AM EST reply actions
Yeesh, you throw out Ryan Ellis as someone to snag if we end up with a late first rounder (ie. what Toronto would get trading someone to a team that makes the playoffs) and everyone ignores your Jared Cowen pick.
Hmph.
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BWAHAHAHA
I missed this before! Nice. I hope they hate us because we hate them.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I fully expect
Some fireworks out of Burke on Draft Day. The Cowen & Ellis process is totally feasible considering the NTC’s of Kubina and Kaberle, especially coupled with Burke’s flair for the dramatic.
If he can pull off something to that extent, at the very least 2 first round picks in a draft as deep as this, I think that’s a great start towards building the future
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