Sportsnet: Stellick - How the Leafs traded their way to success

[Duke Silver]

Lupul, Orr, Bozak are all on new deals under Nonis as well. They didn't have to re-sign here, so Nonis gets cred for them being here now. IMO.

I give more credit to the guy that got them here in the first place.

 

[Diatomic]

Nonis has already wasted this years and next years 2nd rounders, unless the 2016 2nd round pick is in play I dont see a trade coming

 

[Borschevsky]

"Success" seems like the wrong word to use here. I think we have better pieces than we did previous years but the team hasn't done anything yet to be deemed successful.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

The JVR, Phaneuf, and Lupul/Gardiner trades are obvious wins for our team. A lot of people are even coming around on the Kessel trade, realizing exactly what it did for us.

But the Bernier trade? The Bernier trade has the potential to define a Leafs era, much like the Sundin and Gilmour trades.

I was actually surprised on the main boards where they have a thread about the top 10 forwards in the game at how many people (non Leaf fans) have Kessel listed there. Before they'd only begrudgingly respect him as a one dimensional winger but now the masses are recognizing him as one of the best forwards.

 

[frankthetank91]

Burke and Nonis have both made great deals. We would be no where without our trades. Trades vs Drafting, trades have clearly been more beneficial to us.

But is it fair to discredit Nonis on previous deals when Burke was GM? Nonis was still here maybe he made some of those deals or worked on them. Didn't Burke say the Phaneuf trade was Nonis or something?

 

[headwire]

Nonis has already wasted this years and next years 2nd rounders, unless the 2016 2nd round pick is in play I dont see a trade coming

I wouldn't say that the 2014/2015 2nd round picks were wasted. Holland and Bernier are good hockey players.

 

[080]

I'm preetty sure Burke said that Nonis basically pulled off the Phaneuf deal on his own.

Is anyone really surprised? The Bruins and Sharks are also built primarily through trade/free agency.

Boston traded for/signed: Chara, Rask/Thomas, Seidenberg, Iginla

San Jose traded for/signed: Thornton, Boyle, Burns, Niemi

Those are all core pieces of each team. Obviously drafting comes into it as well (Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand; Pavelski, Marleau, Vlasic).

 

[Cor]

Burke and Nonis have both made great deals. We would be no where without our trades. Trades vs Drafting, trades have clearly been more beneficial to us.

But is it fair to discredit Nonis on previous deals when Burke was GM? Nonis was still here maybe he made some of those deals or worked on them. Didn't Burke say the Phaneuf trade was Nonis or something?

Nonis did all the work on the Phaneuf deal and the Gardiner/Lupul deal, per Burke

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Nonis has already wasted this years and next years 2nd rounders, unless the 2016 2nd round pick is in play I dont see a trade coming

Wasted? Bolland and Bernier are not atleast 2nd rd picks?

 

[frankthetank91]

Nonis did all the work on the Phaneuf deal and the Gardiner/Lupul deal, per Burke

Well there you have it. That's another 3 MAJOR pieces that can be credited to Nonis.

Phaneuf, Bernier, Gardiner, Lupul, Bolland, Gleason.

Those are all huge. Burke after bringing in a bunch of ****** Americans, scored us two of the country's best with Kessel and JVR.

If it wasn't for the Clarkson deal Nonis would be seen as one of the best GM's we've had in a long time.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Success? Did I miss something?

 

[ShortSideFlick]

5-10 years from now the Bernier trade is going to be talked about as one of this decade's most lopsided moves. We gave up a back-up goalie, and a top 9 forward to get IMO a young stud #1 goalie. I don't care what Kings fans say, they got jack squat for him. Whats even more funny is that a team is going to overpay at the deadline for a Ryan Miller or over-pay in the off-season. The Leafs have their #1 goalie for the next decade+ for basic spare parts. And a team like Minnesota/St.Louis are probably going to give up a 2nd rounder plus a prospect, heck they might even give up a first who knows. All I know is I love the Bernier trade now and we all will love it more down the road. Absolute steal by Nonis. Any team could've had him last summer.

You seem to be forgetting we gave up a second round pick as well... You're making it out like we gave nothing compared to what others are going to have to give up. You follow this by using less than what we gave up as an example of how much others are going to have to pay and say they are going to have to overpay .

Also, I think it's a little premature to completely write off Frattin and Scrivens. Scrivens has been excellent since the trade and far exceeded expectations. Frattin though disappointing since the trade still has very little NHL experience and could very well turn it around next season.

Like everyone else I'm extremely satisfied with the trade and what we gave up was mostly expendable assets, but come on... This "out of sight, out of mind" attitude and hyperbole regarding our players is a large part of the reason leafs fans have a bad rep with other fan bases.

 

[hockeyfanz*]

Success? Did I miss something?

Exactly...what constitutes success in this town? They are not even in a solid position for playoffs yet. A 4 or 5 game losing streak, which is not inconceivable with the streakiness of this team..and boom they are once again on the outside looking in. Not exactly the Chicago Black Hawks here.

 

[FreeBird]

I don't think any particular trade will define the Leafs era. But it's a combination of the five trades:

1. Kessel Trade
2. Getting Lupul
3. Bernier
4. Phaneuf
5. JvR

All those players above are core Leaf players that have signed (or previously signed with their former team) to long-term contracts (except Bernier). And if Bernier keeps up his play, he will be signed to a long term contract as well.

Still a middle of the pack team, with bloated pay roll and no game changers in the system. Where are players needed to take this team to the next level.

 

[frankthetank91]

Exactly...what constitutes success in this town? They are not even in a solid position for playoffs yet. A 4 or 5 game losing streak, which is not inconceivable with the streakiness of this team..and boom they are once again on the outside looking in. Not exactly the Chicago Black Hawks here.

While were not exactly Cup contenders I guess the title would be, we'd probably be in the basement without these trades. It's too hard to construct a line up but just picture our team without Kessel, JVR, Lupul, Phaneuf, Bernier etc.

 

[Erdinger]

While were not exactly Cup contenders I guess the title would be, we've probably be in the basement without these trades. It's too hard to construct a line up but just picture our team without Kessel, JVR, Lupul, Phaneuf, Bernier etc.

The Leafs would be the Flames

 

[egd27]

Ok reading the article cleared things up slightly, but the quotes pulled made it seem like he was talking about Burke's trading record solely.

Edit: Still not the clearest of articles as it does seem very Burke focused and makes it sound like Burke pulled of the Raycroft and Toskala trades.

Generally does.

 

[KuleminFan41]

You'll still find those people who will say the same tired argument "Ya but they wont win a cup this way". Which may or may not be true, chances are they wont win but its easier to be negative than positive.

 

[ShortSideFlick]

The Leafs would be the Flames

Yeahhh, I wouldn't have minded the leafs doing an actual rebuild... as in getting a few first round picks for players that weren't seen as part of our core instead of losing them to UFA or wasting buy outs on them.

And while Kessel's doing great and improving year after year (stats as well as compete level) I'd still take Sequin + Hamilton over him every day of the week. I'd take Seguin alone over Kessel. I realize how massively unpopular that statement is, but time will tell. Take a minute to compare stats, age, off the puck game, and of course position before trashing me.

 

[thewave]

While were not exactly Cup contenders I guess the title would be, we'd probably be in the basement without these trades. It's too hard to construct a line up but just picture our team without Kessel, JVR, Lupul, Phaneuf, Bernier etc.

We are a basement team with some great tending that put us where we are. We are not a contender, we do not have a future via the farm and anyone who argues that is in denial. There is nothing here at all in the way of a future outside JVR Bernier Kadri Kessel Rielly that's about it.

Butch Carter former Raptors Coach talking about MLSE and knee jerk reactions. I tend to agree its an organization thing.

 

[calcal798]

Didnt Nonis do a majority of the work on the Phaneuf deal? That, the Bernier deal and the JVR deal are all trades that improved this team by tenfolds and trades which we clearly won.

 

[ConnorTO]

i built this team jackass

 

[Mystifo]

It's fun to look at our lineup in terms of who brought it which players.

JVR - Bozak - Kessel = Burke - Burke - Burke
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson = Burke - Burke - Nonis
Raymond - Bolland - Kulemin = Nonis - Nonis - JFJ
Holland - McClement - Orr - McLaren = Nonis - Burke - Burke - Burke

Phaneuf - Gunnarsson = Burke - JFJ
Gleason - Franson = Nonis - Burke
Rielly - Gardiner = Burke - Burke
Fraser - Ranger = Burke - Nonis (well, Burke for his Marlies stint)

Bernier = Nonis
Reimer = JFJ

To be fair I can recall Burke stating numerous times that Nonis did a lot of the work on the trades that were done during his stint.

 

[bleed_oil]

Very much Brian Burke's doing. A fantastic hockey man. I think he will turn the Flames around quite quickly.

 

[Mindrust]

Apparently we gave up a solid starter and future right winger who played like Dustin Brown. He has 6 points to this date.

I liked Frattin, but all the idiots saying he was better than Kadri was priceless.