Friday 8 November 2013

More Maple Leaf Madness - Analyzing Brian Burke's Trades

This is my 4th article in a series of 5 articles with my analysis of the 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs.  This is in my continuing to better understand how the Toronto Maple Leafs are the team they now are and are they any closer to Lord Stanley's Cup.  I continue to put TSN's, Hockey Database and Wikipedia websites to good use for my edification and I hope yours.


Brian Burke's Real Success:


As I wrote in a previous blog entry, very few players remain from prior to Brian Burke's arrival.  The majority of players have arrived via trades or signed as free agents (undrafted college or unrestricted agents.) The draft has also only bared limited fruit with Nazim Kadri and Morgan Rielly in the 5 years Burke managed the draft.  To get better understanding I examined the Leafs opening day roster and how these players came to be on the team.

The make up of Leafs Opening Day Roster via the way players were obtained:


Drafted - Gunnarsson, Kadri, Kulemin, Reimer and Rielly (5)
Undrafted (College Free Agent) - Bozak (1)
Traded for - Ashton, Bernier, Bolland, Gardiner, Franson, Fraser, Kessel, Lupul, Phaneuf and van Riemsdyk (10)
Unrestricted Free Agents - Clarkson, McClement, Orr, Ranger, Raymond and Smith (6)
Waiver Wire - McLaren (1)

This is for a total of 23 players. The NHL allows only 20 players (18 Skaters and 2 Goalies) to dress for an NHL game.  An NHL team is allowed to have an active roster of 23 players including suspended player and players not on long-term injury. At the start of the season Leafs had 21 active players with these two players out,  David Clarkson's 10 game suspension for leaving the bench and Mark Fraser pre-season knee injury.

As seen above 10 players have come from trade and 6 more as unrestricted free agents.  Considering that players traded for make-up 4 of the Leafs top 6 forwards, 4 of 6 Leafs defensemen and a goalie that may be ready to become an NHL starter.  It appears that trades are key for the Leafs steady improvement from their low of 30 wins in 2009-2010 season to a prorated 44.5 wins in the 2012-2013 lockout shortened season.  Right now they are on pace for 55 Wins after 15 games. Although, I doubt the Leafs will continue at this pace after recent injuries.

Lets for fun (with hindsight) review some shrewd trading on Brian Burke's (with Nonis assistance) and determine if the Leafs came out ahead on these trades:   

My ranking of the top 5 trades made by Brian Burke:  



1) February 9, 2011 -  Trade Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim Ducks for Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner and a conditional 4th round pick.


Analysis: Brian Burke basically sold Francois Beauchemin back to the Anahiem Ducks after playing a season and a half in Toronto.  It cost the Leafs only money and we got a point per game player when healthy in Lupul that is also defensively responsible and a second pairing offensive defensemen.   Just a great deal for the Leafs.  

2) January 31, 2010 - Trade C Matt Stajan, W Jamal Mayers, LW Niklas Hagman, and D Ian White to the Calgary Flames in exchange for D DionPhaneuf, W Fredrik Sjostrom, and D Keith Aulie.

 

Analysis:  Dion Phaneuf is a legitimate number #2 defensemen and considering the average 23 minutes a night he plays.  He's not perfect and does most things well as a defensemen, just not anything at the elite level. I can sit and count with my all of fingers better defensemen in the NHL, but after I look at my toes it gets much harder.  His $6.5 million annual salary is a bit much compared to other elite defensemen which makes him an easy villain. Keith Aulie did not pan out to be an NHLer and they eventually traded him to Tampa Bay Lightning for W Carter Ashton a young player now on the 4th line. Sjostrom and Hagman are now in Europe without having any success in North America .  Mayers who had a long career as a goon is now retired and was a 4th liner.  Ian White an undersized defensemen went on to play for Carolina, San Jose and Detroit.  Right now he is without a hockey contract.  Stajan continues to be a center playing for Calgary, but has not showed much success in Calgary and would likely be 3rd line center on most good teams.   The Leafs got the best player and that is Phaneuf. So, this trade also worked well for the Leafs and the fans who get to see his wife Elisha Cuthbert in the stands. 

3) February 18, 2011 - Trade D Tomas Kaberle to Boston Bruins for 1st round pick 2011, Conditional 2nd round pick 2012, and C Joe Colborne.


Analysis:  Tomas Kaberle was about to turn 33 at the time of the trade and he was for years a 50 point defensemen for the Leafs.  Not great in the corners or truculent enough, and Burke somehow read the tea leaves well on this.  Boston went on to win the Stanley Cup, Kaberle was not a factor in that success.  Boston did not sign him and he subsequently was signed by Carolina who traded him to Montreal mid-season.  Montreal bought his contract out the following season.  He never played that well again.  Toronto used the first round pick to select Tyler Biggs, who has yet to play in the NHL.  2nd round pick we got back really the 2nd round pick they gave in the Kessel trade and lastly was 6ft5 center Joe Colborne who was 16th overall pick in 2008.  Toronto gambled on Colborne who was not developing as Boston had hoped and he did not develop much more in Toronto.  We got a 4th round pick for him from Calgary in the end.

Why I love this trade is that the Maple Leafs on countless occasions traded number #1 picks for 'has-beens' and got burned by it.  This time we got the first round pick for the has-been.  It didn't work out, but hey it was a welcome change.


4) Jul 3, 2011 - Trade D Brett Lebda, F Robert Slaney and a conditional 4th round pick in 2013 for C Matthew Lombardi, D Cody Franson and a Conditional 4th round in 2013.

 
Analysis: This trade was the Leafs taking a salary dump of Lombardi's contract with solid up and coming defensemen in Franson.  Franson had already played two seasons showing good offensive skills and has further become a good second pairing defensemen.  He has great shot, good speed and puck handling. His flaw remains his toughness, policing the net and corners.  Lebda (a call-up 4th liner previous) and Slaney continue to toil in the AHL.  I'm sure Nashville would like Franson back after losing stud defensemen Ryan Suter in unrestricted free agency.  This trade has worked out well for the Leafs and Franson showed character in his 3 goal and 3 assist performance in 7 play-off games last season against Boston.

5) June 23, 2012 - Traded D Luke Schenn to Philadelphia Flyers for LW James van Riemsdyk.


Analysis:  Luke Schenn was drafted 5th overall in 2008 by interim GM Cliff Fletcher and was likely rushed into the league.  Many people compared him to great defensive-defensemen Adam Foote. The pressure was intense and he may have fared better outside of the Toronto media spotlight.  He has become one of the NHLs leaders in hits and shots blocked.   However he still lacks puck moving skills and is not see much time in the offensive zone.  Now, the Leafs got van Riemsdyk a 2007 2nd overall pick, who Philadelphia wanted to be a power forward.   He was not delivering the goals or the hits and shooting from the perimeter.  Coming to Toronto he's gone from .5 point game player to .75 point game and he's getting into the high traffic area and scoring goals.  What Philadelphia wanted him to do in the first place.  Another good trade by Burke as the Leafs got the better deal from the change of scenery.


Conclusion:


Brian Burke made the Toronto Maple Leafs better in all of these 5 trades above.  These trades developed the Toronto Maple Leafs into one of leading offensive teams in the NHL. My next and final article is an analysis of the Kessel trade, and my thoughts of what the Leafs need to go from in the play-offs team to a contender.  Nonis addressed getting stronger up the middle with two summer trades for both Bernier and Bolland.  Although, both trades look very promising it is early in the season to see how much further ahead the Leafs are then last season.

Have you seen Lonny Bohonos?  Why keep something to yourself.  Please add your comments below.  

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