fire Brian Burke
Squeak into the playoffs this year or keep building towards a cup? Â I'll take build towards a cup, please and thank you. And they're closer than you think.
Rick Dudley is widely considered one of the best judges of talent in hockey.
He's certainly able to provide a balanced view after building championship teams twice this decade, with two different clubs (Tampa Bay, 2004 – Chicago, 2009). Here's his take on the Leafs, after less than one year on the job.
- [Audio]:Â http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-2/Rick-Dudley-jb-20120323-Interview.mp3
- Note at 4:47, when Jeff Blair snickers at Rick Dudley saying “I am sure they will succeed here and I think there are enough pieces in place, that it is not a daunting task.â€Â Right.
A précis of the interview can be taken from two fairly potent statements:
“I am one of the people uniquely qualified to comment on it.â€
“I think this team becomes an elite team. Simple.â€
Whether that’s damage control, or whether that’s his opinion, I’ll let you be the judge. [more…]
While Brian Burke deserves much of the blame for the recent woes of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s also fair to point out that he didn’t exactly inherit a powerhouse. The Leafs roster was in terrible shape when the big Irishman accepted the unsavory role of Maple Leafs president and general manager.
Unfair expectations were placed on this current regime and miracles were expected overnight as he was quickly dubbed the ‘saviour of the franchise’. Unfortunately, in the new cap-era NHL, a quick fix is nearly impossible and instead patience, money management and shrewd decision making is even more imperative.
Is the “Fire Burkie†rhetoric that has been spewed from Leafs Nation coast-to-coast justified?
