LONDON, Ont. (Sep. 18) — Though it’s a tantalizing pursuit, Maple Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke should probably think twice before selling off multiple draft picks for Boston winger Phil Kessel. Sure, Kessel appears to be a natural scorer in the NHL, but the benefits of acquiring him are off-set by the notion of stockpiling first-round selections. Just watching Nazem Kadri for a couple of nights in the pre-season — and getting another look at big Luke Schenn here at the John Labatt Centre – should be enough to convince Burke that staying conservative with his No. 1 picks will cause no harm to the franchise.
I have to ask... would anyone trade , Peter Holland, Chris Kreider and Nick Leddy for Phil Kessel? Those 3 are all First Rounders from this offseason's draft that are in the bottom play-off team's drafting range.
Last edited by Wild GM: 09-18-2009 at 08:37 AM.
Reason: can't copy & paste whole articles
I Just can't take Howard Berger serious. Our next two First Round Picks aren't guys like Kadri or Schenn. Schenn was draftet 5th Overall and Kadri 7th Overall. Our next two First Round Pick will be in the range of 10-20 Overall. So you can't expect guys like Kadri or Schenn.
I Just can't take Howard Berger serious. Our next two First Round Picks aren't guys like Kadri or Schenn. Schenn was draftet 5th Overall and Kadri 7th Overall. Our next two First Round Pick will be in the range of 10-20 Overall. So you can't expect guys like Kadri or Schenn.
Especially if you take into consideration the 2011 draft is supposed to be a weak one.
__________________ kadri- warm welcome here in montreal eh?
burke- screw 'em we'll win here and later we'll kick their ass Change the Leafs Logo! Click the Link!
I'm not going to be sad if we don't trade for the kid. But I'm certainly not going to be angry about picking up a guy who had 36 goals, in 70 games last season, and is only 21.
I have now heard Darren Millard ask the question "Would you trade Schenn and Kadri for Kessel" about 100 times on hockey central. People Like Millard, Berger and Kypreos are suppose to be hockey experts, yet they dont realise how flawed that qustion is.
In the next two years the leafs are not picking 5th and 7th so the players we would get are not going to be of the same caliber as a Schenn and Kadri
Oh great the mighty Berger has spoken. Well at least he managed not to bash Leaf fans for once.
Honestly I don't get these bloody writers. Do any of them know there are rounds beyond the first one? It makes sense to have more eyes so you can find more late round gems.
Besides how do some see Kessel as a quick fix? This isn't Nolan or any other old vet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bionic
I have now heard Darren Millard ask the question "Would you trade Schenn and Kadri for Kessel" about 100 times on hockey central. People Like Millard, Berger and Kypreos are suppose to be hockey experts, yet they dont realise how flawed that qustion is.
In the next two years the leafs are not picking 5th and 7th so the players we would get are not going to be of the same caliber as a Schenn and Kadri
Exactly. It's a bad question. Leave it as asking if you'd trade two first round picks that are currently unknown in terms of position for Kessel.
Why doesn't he understand that the next 2 drafts are weak?
Even "weak" drafts nowdays have still plenty of quality players in them. Besides you can't really tell if a draft was weak until 10 years after. As for the swedish prospects I have full confidence in Adam Larsson and Gabriel Landeskog in 2011, two players as good if not better than the best two swedish players in this years draft.
That said, a 21 year old player, with proven scoring ability in the NHL, on the verge of becoming a star forward is probably worth two first rounders and then some. Even top 5 picks fail now and then. With Kessel we at least have an idea of what to expect.
2010 and 2011 Drafts are not very strong and especially if your not in the TOP 5 (in case 2010) so dealing draft pick may not be a bad idea. Having said all of that it still is a significant asset in the cap world and should not be given out like candies.
I am starting to grow tired of this 'weak draft' thing that everyone is saying. In 2004, with the exception of AO & EM, the draft was highly regarded as the 'weakest' draft in maybe 8-10 years. At the forefront that may have been true, but look at some of the decent names that it has rendered:
Rd Overall
1 5 Phoenix Blake Wheeler R Breck School (Minn.) 81 21 24 45 46
1 9 Anaheim Ladislav Smid D Liberec Bili Tygri HC [Czech] 202 3 22 25 152
1 13 Buffalo Drew Stafford R U. of North Dakota [NCAA] 184 49 61 110 113
1 15 Nashville Alexander Radulov R Tver (Russia) 145 44 51 95 70 [eeek]
1 20 New Jersey Travis Zajac C Salmon Arm Silverbacks [BCHL] 244 51 87 138 76
1 21 Colorado Wojtek Wolski L Brampton Battalion [OHL] 240 56 90 146 60
1 23 Ottawa Andrej Meszaros D Trencin Dukla [Slovak] 298 28 98 126 249
1 25 Edmonton Rob Schremp C London Knights [OHL] 7 0 3 3 2 [the jury is still out]
1 26 Vancouver Cory Schneider G Phillips-Andover (Mass.) 8 0 0 0 0 [wait and see in 15 years]
1 29 Washington Mike Green D Saskatoon Blades [WHL] 242 52 92 144 184
2 32 Chicago Dave Bolland C London Knights [OHL] 121 23 41 64 80
2 47 NY Islanders Blake Comeau R Kelowna Rockets [WHL] 107 15 25 40 54
2 53 Florida David Booth L Michigan State University [NCAA] 193 56 54 110 76
2 60 NY Rangers Brandon Dubinsky C Portland Winter Hawks [WHL] 170 27 54 81 193
2 63 Boston David Krejci C Kladno Jrs (Czech Rep.) 144 28 72 100 48
Yes, there are no Phil Kessel's really. But there are players on there that will play a vital role in their teams success in the years to come.
I am not necessarily refuting the Kessel for picks/prospect deals, but don't say 'weak draft.' There are some gems that can be plucked out of there; and having decent scouting and uppers that will finally listen to scouts I wouldn't be petrified picking in 10-15.
I Just can't take Howard Berger serious. Our next two First Round Picks aren't guys like Kadri or Schenn. Schenn was draftet 5th Overall and Kadri 7th Overall. Our next two First Round Pick will be in the range of 10-20 Overall. So you can't expect guys like Kadri or Schenn.
yes and schenn should have gone about no 3 and anyone who saw kadri play against windsor last year saw he was as good as tavaras .....at least at the same age,just lookin at this years character and defense the leafs just flat out look better.your not really trading two first rounders cause your getting a 21 year old 30 goal scorer back.howard berger is just not a hockey guy .he seems like hes just waitin to be ridiculed again.mike brophy said the deal for kessel is a no brainer .if david poile wants kessel too im inclined to believe hes the real deal.i was pulling for david poile to run the leafs
Didn't Howard Berger a few months back say how Leafs needed to trade for Kessel. Also I remember him preaching how sure he was Kessel would be a Leaf this coming season.
If you consider what Burke was able to do last June recruting college kids maybe we don't need our next two 1st round picks. With that new state of the art practice arena I bet we can continue to recuit through the college ranks next year. We already got three good prospects out of going that route. Unless your drafting in the top 10 in the next 2 years, I doubt we will get a Luke Schenn or a even a Nazem Kadri.
I am starting to grow tired of this 'weak draft' thing that everyone is saying. In 2004, with the exception of AO & EM, the draft was highly regarded as the 'weakest' draft in maybe 8-10 years. At the forefront that may have been true, but look at some of the decent names that it has rendered:
Rd Overall
1 5 Phoenix Blake Wheeler R Breck School (Minn.) 81 21 24 45 46
1 9 Anaheim Ladislav Smid D Liberec Bili Tygri HC [Czech] 202 3 22 25 152
1 13 Buffalo Drew Stafford R U. of North Dakota [NCAA] 184 49 61 110 113
1 15 Nashville Alexander Radulov R Tver (Russia) 145 44 51 95 70 [eeek]
1 20 New Jersey Travis Zajac C Salmon Arm Silverbacks [BCHL] 244 51 87 138 76
1 21 Colorado Wojtek Wolski L Brampton Battalion [OHL] 240 56 90 146 60
1 23 Ottawa Andrej Meszaros D Trencin Dukla [Slovak] 298 28 98 126 249
1 25 Edmonton Rob Schremp C London Knights [OHL] 7 0 3 3 2 [the jury is still out]
1 26 Vancouver Cory Schneider G Phillips-Andover (Mass.) 8 0 0 0 0 [wait and see in 15 years]
1 29 Washington Mike Green D Saskatoon Blades [WHL] 242 52 92 144 184
2 32 Chicago Dave Bolland C London Knights [OHL] 121 23 41 64 80
2 47 NY Islanders Blake Comeau R Kelowna Rockets [WHL] 107 15 25 40 54
2 53 Florida David Booth L Michigan State University [NCAA] 193 56 54 110 76
2 60 NY Rangers Brandon Dubinsky C Portland Winter Hawks [WHL] 170 27 54 81 193
2 63 Boston David Krejci C Kladno Jrs (Czech Rep.) 144 28 72 100 48
Yes, there are no Phil Kessel's really. But there are players on there that will play a vital role in their teams success in the years to come.
I am not necessarily refuting the Kessel for picks/prospect deals, but don't say 'weak draft.' There are some gems that can be plucked out of there; and having decent scouting and uppers that will finally listen to scouts I wouldn't be petrified picking in 10-15.
I like most of what you said. Its true, gems can be found in late first round and even 3rd, 4th + rounds....the problem is, the false positive gets WAY TOO HIGH! For every gem, you have 5-6 AHLers or players that need 3-5 years of development.
In a cap world, draft picks are important, so Burke needs to be really careful about his decisions, but if he feels that Kessel can contribute on the 1st line for 5-10 years...then its hard to pass that up.
dude, the 2011 draft is 2 years away, how can you be so presumptuous?
I'm with you on stockpiling draft picks. But I think you also need to look at what you're getting here. It's not as if the picks are going for someone either in his prime, or just past it. The kid is 21, and only going to get better.
Stockpile picks, yes. But I think if you have the opportunity to grab one of the best young talents in the game, you do it.
And even if we do lose the picks, I can see us regaining some of them. Maybe a bunch of 2nd rounders. I wouldn't worry too much about the prospect pool. Burkie and Nonis will give our scouts something to work with.
i think we can recoup some of the draft picks by trading Ponikarovsky,Stempniak,Stajan,Van Ryn etc probably at the trade deadline as maybe guys like Tlusty,Hanson,Stalberg and Bozak are ready to take the next big step.
I'm with you on stockpiling draft picks. But I think you also need to look at what you're getting here. It's not as if the picks are going for someone either in his prime, or just past it. The kid is 21, and only going to get better.
Stockpile picks, yes. But I think if you have the opportunity to grab one of the best young talents in the game, you do it.
And even if we do lose the picks, I can see us regaining some of them. Maybe a bunch of 2nd rounders. I wouldn't worry too much about the prospect pool. Burkie and Nonis will give our scouts something to work with.
Maybe we just think too deeply into things?
however this situation turns out, i'll be happy
Your right bout regaining our picks, Like if we moved Kaberle at the deadline
Let me guess without reading it... He's so in love with the performances of the Leafs' young players in the first two pre-season games, he thinks that patience with these players and further drafting will cause the team to turn the corner.
I say just slam the offer sheet down already. If they match it then they match it. $5.5m over a term, keep the compensation in the range of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd and front load the contract with signing bonuses so it handcuffs Boston.
We only risk those 3 picks while retaining our prospect pool.
If Boston matches then we immediately make a play for Dubinsky (which I think we should do anyway).
