Not really, he's a fringe #1.. like grabo
- peddy-93

yes but he's established himself on that top line while Grabo hasn't sniffed it yet, Grabo's a good #2C

It sucks that the two biggest needs for a team to be successful are the two pieces we're missing.. a #1C and a starter
- kovalchukTML

Goaltending has been fukking this team over since Belfour...

Fukk it... Let's just make the deal for Lolongo and get in the playoffs...

True dat...
- SofaKingBored

teams without Legit #1 Center (IMO) - random order by conference

Toronto
Boston
Florida
New Jersey*
Buffalo
Winnipeg
Montreal

St Louis
Phoenix
Nashville
Calgary
Dallas
Columbus
Edmonton*

*Edmonton has already drafted theirs. Zajac is close in Jersey, but no where near a PPG player.

Hell I'm even on the fence about Minnesota. Love Koivu, but he's not really there either.

Krejci is a #1C
- kovalchukTML

no, he really isn't

teams without Legit #1 Center (IMO) - random order by conference

Toronto
BostonKrejci
Florida
New Jersey*
Buffalo
Winnipeg
MontrealPlekanec
St Louis
Phoenix
Nashville
Calgary
DallasRoy
Columbus
Edmonton*

Edmonton has already drafted theirs. Zajac is close in Jersey, but no where near a PPG player.

Hell I"m even on the fence about Minnesota. Love Koivu, but he's not really there either.
- Big_Lightnin

teams without Legit #1 Center (IMO) - random order by conference

Toronto
Boston
Florida
New Jersey*
Buffalo
Winnipeg
Montreal

St Louis
Phoenix
Nashville
Calgary
Dallas
Columbus
Edmonton*

*Edmonton has already drafted theirs. Zajac is close in Jersey, but no where near a PPG player.

Hell I'm even on the fence about Minnesota. Love Koivu, but he's not really there either.
- Big_Lightnin

yeah you're right but you NEED a legit #1 to win

no, he really isn't
- Big_Lightnin

Whats keeping him from it

[quote=kovalchukTML]

Krecji is not a legit #1C

Plekanec? Maybe if you combine his last 2 seasons...

[quote=kovalchukTML]
Dont consider those #1 centers

I hate how Burke's word is taken as gospel. He never said that. Here's what he really said per Globe & Mail

Burke was the GM with the Anaheim Ducks for just under two years when that team won its first and only Stanley Cup in 2007.

“It’s not easy to fix a team that’s broken,” Burke said. “It’s not. And I had no illusions or delusions about that except that I watched general managers get up there the first day
- Boosinicka[they were hired]and say we’ve got a five-year plan... I don’t respect that. (all he ever said is that he wasn't interested in a 5-year plan and people went all ape poop with assumptions)

“My view was I was hopeful we could do it quicker. We haven’t. But I haven’t changed the plan... We have more first-round picks [in the organization] than any other team in the NHL... It’s a young group, we haven’t gone old, we haven’t tried to band-aid things, we’ve tried to build them. But yes, it’s frustrating. It’s very difficult.

“I was in the playoffs seven straight years before I got here. This has been agonizing. I’m sure you can see it in my face – I haven’t slept in a month, two months. If fans think they’re disappointed, I can assure you the general manager is far more disappointed.”

Burke fuking rocks. I do not care if I am alone on this, but I think that given what he started with and the crap he has to take to do his job, that he has done not just a decent job, or an ok one, but a goddamn AMAZING job. I think that this team is full of excellent young players and I am extremely excited about watching them grow. Accuse me of drinking the Koolaid or of being a homer, I don't care, I love this team, I love how its run, I am not anywhere close to being out of patience and I think that this team has the players now to be an extremely competitive team in the very near future.

Also, unlike most fans who think we need a goalie or centre, I applaude yesterdays signing because I think if our bottom six is better and our Defence is slightly better next year, then our goalie, no matter who he is, is guarenteed to be better and we are not going to have trouble scoring, even if we don't get Getzlaf or his equivelent.

Dont consider those #1 centers
- peddy-93

Fine that's your opinion, but Colborne will not come in and dominate and we still lack a top center, it's gunna be a long year

Fine that's your opinion, but Colborne will not come in and dominate and we still lack a top center, it gunna be a long year
- kovalchukTML

I agree with you on that

Whats keeping him from it
- kovalchukTML

never been a PPG player. Not big, doesn't dominate that game in any way.

He's close, but he's no where near Getzlaf, Staal, Spezza, Datsyuk, Malkin, Giroux Thornton territory (just randomly spewing names)

Krejci's their #1 cause Savard retired and Seguin's not ready yet.

I'd take him on the Leafs in a heartbeat, but he's not a Legit #1C in my book.

Burke fuking rocks. I do not care if I am alone on this, but I think that given what he started with and the crap he has to take to do his job, that he has done not just a decent job, or an ok one, but a goddamn AMAZING job. I think that this team is full of excellent young players and I am extremely excited about watching them grow. Accuse me of drinking the Koolaid or of being a homer, I don't care, I love this team, I love how its run, I am not anywhere close to being out of patience and I think that this team has the players now to be an extremely competitive team in the very near future.

Also, unlike most fans who think we need a goalie or centre, I applaude yesterdays signing because I think if our bottom six is better and our Defence is slightly better next year, then our goalie, no matter who he is, is guarenteed to be better and we are not going to have trouble scoring, even if we don't get Getzlaf or his equivelent.
- Jimmy_T

Exactly, people forget that Burke came when this team was at its worst not 8 years ago when this drought started. We're 1 year at the most from making the playoffs and about 3 from contending and we have come a long way from 2008 when we had shiit for depth and prospects.

It takes time we'll get hrough it

Fine that's your opinion, but Colborne will not come in and dominate and we still lack a top center, it gunna be a long year
- kovalchukTML

nobody saying he will, but we sure as hell know Bozak won't. And as discussed, most of us would rather keep Kessel and Grabo on different lines (it's been discussed here on several occasions).

If there isn't another option brought in via trade, Colborne should absolutely get a look in preseason with Kessel and Lupul. Hell so should JVR.

Not really, he's a fringe #1.. like grabo
- peddy-93

Krejci? He's way better then Grabo IMO.

Burke fuking rocks. I do not care if I am alone on this, but I think that given what he started with and the crap he has to take to do his job, that he has done not just a decent job, or an ok one, but a goddamn AMAZING job. I think that this team is full of excellent young players and I am extremely excited about watching them grow. Accuse me of drinking the Koolaid or of being a homer, I don't care, I love this team, I love how its run, I am not anywhere close to being out of patience and I think that this team has the players now to be an extremely competitive team in the very near future.

Also, unlike most fans who think we need a goalie or centre, I applaude yesterdays signing because I think if our bottom six is better and our Defence is slightly better next year, then our goalie, no matter who he is, is guarenteed to be better and we are not going to have trouble scoring, even if we don't get Getzlaf or his equivelent.
- Jimmy_T

I 100 percent agree with you, i am on board with what burke is doing and how hes handling the team despite the kessel trade. He has done more good than bad, and this team now is full of promise not garbage trash like antrapov or poni anymore or stajan etc etc. This is a BRAND NEW TEAM, no more kaberles or anyone left. Burke single handly changed the whole roster. And the players we have now are way better than what we had before. The only players i hope burke looks at is one of luongo or bernier, chris stewart, and whoever else he thinks will help this team.

Baring one of Burkes miracle trades, we better get used to 15th place in the east. I honestly don't see this team as any better than the rest of the non playoff teams this year. Montreal, Carolina, Buffalo, New York Islanders, Tampa, Winnipeg have all gotten better. Can anyone truthfully say that we got better? What were our biggest holes last year? Number 1 centre and in goal. Did we do anything to plug those holes? No! We just added another plug, from Colorado and swapped one headache for another, in the Schenn/JVR deal. I hate to blunt the hopes and dreams of my fellow Leafs Nation compadre's, but it isn't happening this year. Best we forget about Luongo and just play the roster that we currently have. Looking out west, only Columbus looks worse, so we will be in the top 3 next year, in the draft..........book it!

nobody saying he will, but we sure as hell know Bozak won't. And as discussed, most of us would rather keep Kessel and Grabo on different lines (it's been discussed here on several occasions).

If there isn't another option brought in via trade, Colborne should absolutely get a look in preseason with Kessel and Lupul. Hell so should JVR.
- Big_Lightnin

and kadri

teams without Legit #1 Center (IMO) - random order by conference

Toronto
Boston
Florida
New Jersey*
Buffalo
Winnipeg
Montreal

St Louis
Phoenix
Nashville
Calgary
Dallas
Columbus
Edmonton*

*Edmonton has already drafted theirs. Zajac is close in Jersey, but no where near a PPG player.

Hell I'm even on the fence about Minnesota. Love Koivu, but he's not really there either.
- Big_Lightnin

Bergeron and Krejci are two 1B centres IMO.

Baring one of Burkes miracle trades, we better get used to 15th place in the east. I honestly don't see this team as any better than the rest of the non playoff teams this year. Montreal, Carolina, Buffalo, New York Islanders, Tampa, Winnipeg have all gotten better. Can anyone truthfully say that we got better? What were our biggest holes last year? Number 1 centre and in goal. Did we do anything to plug those holes? No! We just added another plug, from Colorado and swapped one headache for another, in the Schenn/JVR deal. I hate to blunt the hopes and dreams of my fellow Leafs Nation compadre's, but it isn't happening this year. Best we forget about Luongo and just play the roster that we currently have. Looking out west, only Columbus looks worse, so we will be in the top 3 next year, in the draft..........book it!
- PrinceLH

I've been preaching this same bull poop for months now. Tank and draft our own franchise 1C - Nathan MacKinnon.

I get the feeling that;

1) Burke is simply waiting out Luongo... waiting for Gillis to call him, after Flordia possibly backs out

2) Burke is going to wait until next off-season, when we will have close to 20M in cap space, to try and get Getzlaf and/or Perry

Krejci? He's way better then Grabo IMO.
- Unholy_Forward

That might be overstating it. Grabo doesn't play with Lucic now does he... and doens't get #1 PP time.

the gap is not a large one.

I'd like to see JvR-Colborne-Kessel play on the same line.

I 100 percent agree with you, i am on board with what burke is doing and how hes handling the team despite the kessel trade. He has done more good than bad, and this team now is full of promise not garbage trash like antrapov or poni anymore or stajan etc etc. This is a BRAND NEW TEAM, no more kaberles or anyone left. Burke single handly changed the whole roster. And the players we have now are way better than what we had before. The only players i hope burke looks at is one of luongo or bernier, chris stewart, and whoever else he thinks will help this team.
- Mapleleafs_91

You two must be brothers, or something. Can't believe that your both so off track, on this team. After 4 years of Burke, this team is a disgrace. We just sit idly by and watch other teams bolster their roster. Burke b!tches about the price being too steep to grab a UFA. We could have used Hudler, so why could we have not made that deal? If Burke's attitude is to pass, because he deems the market value on 95% of the UFA's are too high, then maybe the fans should deem that ticket prices at the ACC are too high and refuse to pay them too!