Exactly - Kadri should have been playing all year this year
- MTL1

Why....what has Kadri done to "deserve" it...exactly....other than being drafted high?

Yup, most likely headed west.

Calgary would be good... but nothing's set in stone.
- robin_steele264

You ever live here before?

I have seniority , muhahhaha.
- LeafMan

Jesus, he's back!!!!!!!!!!!

What I am saying is Burke should have known the abilities of his team, and that adding Kessel wasn't going to automatically make them a good team. 1 player, a team does not make.... So he should have known that the draft picks he was giving up were going to be of the higher quality... But Burke got totally ripped off for Kessel, just look at the deals for Richards and Carter last year... We got a first and struggling player for 1, and a young power forward and top prospect for the other... And Carter and Richards are much more proven talent then Kessel was...
- RooNosHockey

all things considered...Kessel is one hell of a player who he got at a young age and has yet to hit his prime....guys like that dont come cheap. Hes not the gritty kinda player Burke likes, but grab him a gritty center and thats one hell of a solid first line.

and the NHL players would move to the AHL (i.e. Connolly, lombo, army, etc..)?

If so, that is a terrible 'plan'
- mfreedman

if they cant be traded. why waste over 10 mil in cap for 3 useless players? give our young guys some nhl experience. or what, once they are gone everyone thinks the following year our prospects will be amazing and we'll make the playoffs?

The ruling on the field stands.

Still behaving yourself 'whipper,
- LeafMan

I overruled your overturned ruling. Carry on Whisper.

and yet the furthest they got was to game 7 in round 2. got swept last year in 2nd round by tampa and last in first round the other 2 years. and now they look like they wont make the playoffs at all this year, for their progress has regressed
- matt1337

Even so, it's a hell of a better position than what we're in right now.

They changed their whole system from run n gun to defensive because reality that run n gun doesn't win cups slapped them in the face over and over again. Now they're adapting and adding supporting personnel that thrive in such a system. Give them some time. Expect the same pains to befall the Leafs with this recent system change.

fine...but now were both just grasping at straws here...either way...what ANY GM would have to work with 3-4 years ago was so bad, that anyone could argue that it would be VERY hard for jsut about ANYONE to make them a strong team in less than 4-5 years. tehre isnt one sure way to build a championship team...Burke rolled the dice on the Kessel deal and it didnt fully work out, however we have a 35+ goal scorer out of it, and hes added many prospects since. its a much slower rebuild than planned...but its atleast steps in the right direction.
- noename09

Yea, but other GM's might have them in a better position to suceed in the future. Your team looks to be a playoff bubble team at best for the forseeable future... At least another GM might have them in a position to be a real contender in another 2-3 seasons...

I think Burke might have had some say in that matter.
- robin_steele264

Meh, as he has stated several times....it's the coach that picks the captain.
Take it for what it is.
At the time, it was either Phaneuf, listen to some leafers and pick schenn, or no one.
I wasn't thrilled with Phaneuf at the time....but it's a 100x better than picking Schenn.
But what can you do.

I got that memo that Frenchie was circulating.

I can stay away for 4 more games, I'm like a hockey camel, I have enough hockey stored away for a while.
- LeafMan

He told me you and ann-gee ran away and eloped. Congrats.

Why....what has Kadri done to "deserve" it...exactly....other than being drafted high?
- noename09

Almost a PPG last year in the AHL and was on pace for almost 40 points as a 20 year old. Bozie has 45 points this year playing with Lupul and Kessel and some ppl are happy with that.

What has Frattin done to play in the NHL this last month that Kadri hasn't?

Yea, but other GM's might have them in a better position to suceed in the future. Your team looks to be a playoff bubble team at best for the forseeable future... At least another GM might have them in a position to be a real contender in another 2-3 seasons...
- RooNosHockey

might/maybe/could have.....

You ever live here before?
- whipper334

Oh yeah, I lived in Calgary and Edmonton.

if they cant be traded. why waste over 10 mil in cap for 3 useless players? give our young guys some nhl experience. or what, once they are gone everyone thinks the following year our prospects will be amazing and we'll make the playoffs?
- matt1337

Because ten we get back to the same old system where when a player doesnt work out, we throw them into the minors... Basically the same system we had 5-10 years ago..

When the rookies arent working, we dont have players in the minors to call up and fill the void because all thats down there are useless vets. So what happens you ask? We need to trade for them. Unfortunately though, we don't even have any young assets int he form of prospects to trade... so what do we trade? Draft picks.

That sounds like a great system.... and to do what? Make the playoffs and become a bubble team?

Why....what has Kadri done to "deserve" it...exactly....other than being drafted high?
- noename09

Same could be said for others in our line up.
Kadri needed to work on his defensive skills....I'm of two camps...either he should have been left in the AHL to develop for a year or two straight...or this year he should have been left up with the team all year to work on improving.
Considering the forwards we have, there's no reason he shouldn't have been with the leafs.

Even so, it's a hell of a better position than what we're in right now.

They changed their whole system from run n gun to defensive because reality that run n gun doesn't win cups slapped them in the face over and over again. Now they're adapting and adding supporting personnel that thrive in such a system. Give them some time. Expect the same pains to befall the Leafs with this recent system change.
- 1979AD

o i know, i was just saying how using washington as an example right now isnt a good one since they are a bubble team and havent made it past round 2 that is all

all things considered...Kessel is one hell of a player who he got at a young age and has yet to hit his prime....guys like that dont come cheap. Hes not the gritty kinda player Burke likes, but grab him a gritty center and thats one hell of a solid first line.
- noename09

Kessel IMO is a one off Star... Like Carter. Not a guy that you can depend on to carry your team. Yes he does need someone else... But because you cant get those guys through the draft or UFA....

Yea, but other GM's might have them in a better position to suceed in the future. Your team looks to be a playoff bubble team at best for the forseeable future... At least another GM might have them in a position to be a real contender in another 2-3 seasons...
- RooNosHockey

Now your looking into your crystal ball

You ever live here before?
- whipper334

I did..........loved it.........we lived in the SW.......

Way down in Somerset

Jesus, he's back!!!!!!!!!!!
- Prolific_Scorer

Jesus, not really, but you could say some sort of deity

how ya doing east coaster, haha

Almost a PPG last year in the AHL and was on pace for almost 40 points as a 20 year old. Bozie has 45 points this year playing with Lupul and Kessel and some ppl are happy with that.

What has Frattin done to play in the NHL this last month that Kadri hasn't?
- HipHopisDead

We needed a third line checking role player...which Frattin filled.

Same could be said for others in our line up.
Kadri needed to work on his defensive skills....I'm of two camps...either he should have been left in the AHL to develop for a year or two straight...or this year he should have been left up with the team all year to work on improving.
Considering the forwards we have, there's no reason he shouldn't have been with the leafs.
- Fakepartofme

I'm glad he's not playing... I agree with Grapes.. if he was playing they'd be better (but IMO, probably not playoff bound though). so since he's not playing better odds in getting a standout player at the draft. 2nd overall would be sweet. I hope we get it!

Because ten we get back to the same old system where when a player doesnt work out, we throw them into the minors... Basically the same system we had 5-10 years ago..

When the rookies arent working, we dont have players in the minors to call up and fill the void because all thats down there are useless vets. So what happens you ask? We need to trade for them. Unfortunately though, we don't even have any young assets int he form of prospects to trade... so what do we trade? Draft picks.

That sounds like a great system.... and to do what? Make the playoffs and become a bubble team?
- mfreedman

never said they'd make the playoffs just said better to give them NHL experience rather then being an average player in the AHL and ruin them like we did pogge

might/maybe/could have.....
- noename09

Ok so evaluate him on what he has done... absolutely nothing. The team isn't in a better position now then it was when he took over...

Almost a PPG last year in the AHL and was on pace for almost 40 points as a 20 year old. Bozie has 45 points this year playing with Lupul and Kessel and some ppl are happy with that.

What has Frattin done to play in the NHL this last month that Kadri hasn't?
- HipHopisDead

How's Kadri done with the Marlies this year?