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Brian Burke admits Boston won the Phil Kessel trade

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 25: General manager Brian Burke of the Toronto Maple Leafs answers questions after day two of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 25, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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The debate can finally be put to an end over who won the Phil Kessel trade. While the Leafs came away with the dynamic scorer they craved, the Bruins came out of it with three great draft picks in Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, and Jared Knight. The Bruins also came away with a Stanley Cup last year. Apparently that’s a big deal.

Leafs GM Brian Burke took plenty of heat for dishing off two #1 picks and a second rounder for Kessel, but fans were eager to yell that they won the trade on both sides. Burke says all that talk can end now after what he told Michael Traikos of The National Post after the Leafs were spanked by Boston last night.

“Peter Chiarelli has a ring. There’s no argument,” Leafs general manager Brian Burke said of his Bruins counterpart prior to Boston’s 6-2 win against Toronto on Thursday night. “Whenever people question whether the trade worked or not, he holds up his right hand and you can’t say anything.”

Debate over - the Bruins win again.

Of course, Burke goes on to admit he’d do the deal again in a heartbeat because of how good Kessel is. In this case, going for the sure thing instead of chasing draft picks is what he means. Of course, you never expect those picks to be second and ninth overall in back-to-back years either.

Burke’s admission should end the debate, but asking Leafs and Bruins fans to stop sniping each other is like asking cats and dogs to knock it off.