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Columnist absolutely eviscerates Leafs coach and general manager

Sad Leafs fan

Earlier today we linked you to a Toronto newspaper column that condemned Leafs fans for being insensitive to coach Ron Wilson’s feelings.

Meanwhile, at the National Post, columnist Bruce Arthur was feeling a little less blame-the-victimmy.

Following is an excerpt of Arthur’s scathing critique of both Wilson and Leafs general manager Brian Burke:

At [yesterday’s] morning skate, coach Ron Wilson had crowed that “all these rumours the last couple weeks have shown that they were nothing but rumours,” as if it wasn’t Burke who took to the radio last week to say he was looking for a goaltender. All these rumours, as if it wasn’t someone with the Leafs who leaked the fact the team had an offer for pending free agent Mikhail Grabovski.

Burke, of course, also claimed fans don’t like Wilson because he doesn’t kiss up to the media, which really explains those “FI-RE WIL-SON!” chants Tuesday night. And Wilson was the one strapping explosives to Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer in public, day after day. Oh, and the trade deadline stuff. You want a confidence shaker, it’s not Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie.

“I think the trade deadline is hard on players, but I think it’s murder on players in Toronto,” Burke said Monday. “And we just had a serious debate whether next year we’re going to do this 10 days earlier so the players can relax.”

The pressure of the trade deadline? Really? This is Toronto, for God’s sake. Burke knew the moment he took this job what he had to build, and what kind of players were required to build it, and four years later this is a viable excuse?

Frankly, it’s amazing we don’t read more columns like that out of Toronto. Burke’s been in charge of the Leafs since late 2008 and they still don’t have a top-line center or goalie they can trust. He signed regular healthy scratch Mike Komisarek to a big, long contract. He gave Tim Connolly $9.5 million over two years. He took Matthew Lombardi off Nashville’s hands to get Cody Franson, another frequent press-box occupant and, at 24 years old, not exactly green as grass anymore.

Yeah, yeah, the Leafs are one of the youngest teams in the NHL – doesn’t mean they’ll be any good. Anyone can put together a young team -- just check IDs.

Not to mention, Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf are unrestricted free agents after two more seasons. Those are Burke’s two main building blocks. Not saying they’re bound to jump ship, but they might be tempted if things don’t get better. And if things don’t get better, it might not be Burke they’ll be negotiating with anyway.

As Arthur writes, “This organization has escaped competitive relevance for so long now, and as it happens again the excuses come to bear. Well, save it. The next 19 games are not just a referendum on the goaltending, on the defencemen, on the forwards, on the coach. They’re yet another referendum on Burke, who lords over this entire operation. This is Toronto. Nobody should act surprised.”