The NHL’s 2011 Draft Combine completed this week, providing enjoyable speculation for fans of the 28 franchises that aren’t playing NHL games anymore. We already took a look at some of the workout warriors from the Combine’s tests, but it’s likely that a few other stories might filter through.
You don’t usually have to pry and prod to get a story out of Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. His law school background and robust sense of self-worth make him one of the most fascinating figures in the sport, let alone one of the most interesting general managers.
Unfortunately, for all his one-liners and amusing scowls, Burke hasn’t had much success rebuilding the Maple Leafs into a playoff team. One of his most criticized moves involved trading a handful of picks - including one that ended up being Tyler Seguin’s No. 2 pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft - for mercurial scorer Phil Kessel.
That move robbed Leafs fans of a big-time prospect to shower with excessive praise and scrutiny, so the fan base is probably hungry for a new savior. Burke is in a better position in 2011 than 2010 with two first round draft picks and a second rounder to boot, but he might want to swing for a home run rather than three hits. In fact, he said basically that much, indicating that he will try to package one of his first round picks with his second round pick to move up in the first round.
It might be a tough sell because the Leafs’ picks are in the lower end of the first round. They’ll get the 25th pick from the Philadelphia Flyers thanks to the Kris Versteeg trade and either the 29th or 30th pick depending upon the Boston Bruins’ results in the 2011 Stanley Cup finals. That pick came from the Tomas Kaberle trade and might slightly heal the wounds of that Kessel trade, although the Kessel deal will rear its ugly head again when the Bruins receive the ninth pick in ’11.
In other words, Burke will try to move up in the first round by combining either the 25th or 29/30th pick with the team’s 39th pick. It’s quite possible that it might come down to making a trade on the draft floor, especially if a team in the teens doesn’t like what they’re seeing as the events transpire.
Either way, there’s an excellent chance that Burke will entertain us around June 24. Then again, there wouldn’t be anything unusual about that.