Sportsnet Brian Burke explains why the Leafs made the trade with the Bruins for Phil Kessel

[Fenway]

Interesting perspective from Burke.

Brian Burke says Phil Kessel trade was product of ticket price fatigue - Sportsnet.ca

Brian Burke said the decision to trade for Phil Kessel was made mostly as a business decision to give Toronto Maple Leafs fans a new star player to cheer for and buy tickets to go see.

“The Phil Kessel acquisition was in large part because I thought we had some ticket price fatigue,” Burke said in long-ranging interview with Bob McCown on Prime Time Sports Monday. “If we’re not going to win, let’s at least have a star player with what we charge for tickets.”

The Maple Leafs, with Burke as GM, acquired Kessel from the Boston Bruins for two first-round picks and a second-round pick. But due to poor performances, those ended up being high picks which the Bruins used to draft star OHL players Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight.

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[DKH]

When is Burke going to be on Oprah.

First we get HIS Ducks are the best team since the lost season - patting self on back

Now we get the Kessel trade wasn’t really on Burke

This is exactly how my GM tenure would go

I hope he’s got more

I’m wondering if he took the DNA test we might related

 

[Dr Hook]

He does an entertaining interview. Last week's 31 thoughts podcast had Burke on there and it was fun listening.

 

[Aeroforce]

I got a good chuckle out of this. Burke makes it sound like he made the trade just to sell tickets, knewing the team would still be losing.

No self-respecting GM expecting a poor season trades first round picks.

Lucky for the Leafs' organization the Bruins squandered much of the assets acquired, otherwise the trade could look even more disastrous.