Trades: The one area where a lack of NHL GM experience hurts

[leafsfuture]

I truly believed "experience" is a tad overrated, but if there is one area where it is crucial... it is trades.

I have faith in Shanahan, Pridham, Dubas and Hunter. They are smart hockey minds, and talent evaluators. However I don't think they have the NHL experience to be pulling off big trades right now.

Can someone explain to me why this dead had to happen today? It seems Pittsburgh was big into Kessel. I don't see why management could not have waited a few days for the market to sort itself out?

I just think that a person with prior NHL management experience would have been able to know whether the Leafs could afford to hand back and wait a bit.

For all this talk of patience, the Leafs crew traded Kessel literally the first day it was possible.

Before we trade anyone else, please I want a GM!

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[realgoodleafs]

Two experienced GMs put us in this position in the first place.

 

[kihei]

^^^^^^^^^^^
I was going to say the same thing.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Experienced GMs were WORSE!

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

Two experienced GMs put us in this position in the first place.

This.

Nonis is what screwed us over today. That money, term and no-trade he gave Kessel was just idiotic. Left management's hands tied with Pittsburgh wielding all the leverage in a potential trade as essentially the only trade partner.

 

[Corleone]

Because Burke overpaid everyone expected the same deal back?

 

[Swervin81]

Two experienced GMs put us in this position in the first place.

This. Experience got us getting fleeced in the first Kessel trade, signing Clarkson, not CBOing Liles just to buyout Gleason, and the list goes on and on and on.

 

[dubey]

Hire Burke back plz

 

[mikebel111*]

oh really people, how about our draft day trades, do those not count now, The draft day trades were great with the same management but nope lets ignore that

experience is over rated. I expect Burke to ruin everything in Calgary just like the way he ruined us

 

[MapleLife*]

Can someone explain to me why this dead had to happen today? It seems Pittsburgh was big into Kessel. I don't see why management could not have waited a few days for the market to sort itself out?

The Pens wanted to get it sorted out before free agency so they could know if they would solve their winger issues through trade or free agency

It's no excuse for the awful value, but if they didn't do it today, the Pens would be out of the picture for the next season at least

 

[ULF_55]

oh really people, how about our draft day trades, do those not count now, The draft day trades were great with the same management but nope lets ignore that

experience is over rated. I expect Burke to ruin everything in Calgary just like the way he ruined us

Hunter must have got dumb since the draft?

I thought his strength was evaluating talent in kids/prospects?

 

[leafsgirl12]

Burke and Nonis overpaid a lot of players . one of the best things Burke did for the leafs was draft Morgan Rielly.

 

[Drew311]

Pretty sure if Nonis was still here he'd be bringing the old band back for next season and we wouldn't have Babcock.

 

[tml19]

Hunter must have got dumb since the draft?

I thought his strength was evaluating talent in kids/prospects?

Yes because you can evaluate a kid better then him... right??

 

[ULF_55]

Yes because you can evaluate a kid better then him... right??

Not me.

I'm sure he knows exactly who they just traded Kessel for, but it sounds like quite a few here know better than Hunter because they're suggesting he got robbed in the deal.

 

[Kb21]

Experience means little.

 

[leafsfuture]

You guys aren't getting the point.
Experience isn't sufficient for success.
But experience is necessary.

At the end of the day, having a guy with some NHL management experience at least could guide the Leafs through this.

Whether you like the return or not is irrelevant. My point is that I personally don't believe an experienced executive would have traded your best player, and allowed the return to be lottery protected OR to send back a high pick.

 

[paulhiggins]

Maybe if so many of the fans weren't whining to keep him on the roster back a few years ago when some of us could see what was going to happen down the road, management might have been more open-minded about trading what was for many, a fan-favourite back then. Look in the mirror.

 

[Leafidelity]

Maybe if so many of the fans weren't whining to keep him on the roster back a few years ago when some of us could see what was going to happen down the road, management might have been more open-minded about trading what was for many, a fan-favourite back then. Look in the mirror.

...are you serious?

 

[ULF_55]

You guys aren't getting the point.
Experience isn't sufficient for success.
But experience is necessary.

At the end of the day, having a guy with some NHL management experience at least could guide the Leafs through this.

Whether you like the return or not is irrelevant. My point is that I personally don't believe an experienced executive would have traded your best player, and allowed the return to be lottery protected OR to send back a high pick.

Burke should have lottery protected the Kessel deal That was a mistake by a very experienced GM who completely missed the boat on evaluating the talent on the team.

That experience didn't guide the Leafs well there.

Nonis and Clarkson, another experienced GM who crashed and burned.

 

[leafsfuture]

Like does anyone truly think a GM like Sather, or Murray, or anyone agreeing to trade Kessel, then allowing the first round pick in return to be lottery protected. OR SEND A PICK BACK?

Thats my only point. I get that we didn't get Pouliot. I can understand.

But when management allows for things like sending back high picks, and lottery protection, you know somewhere along the line we either got played, or management simply didn't care

 

[Dreakmur]

Management had no leverage. Bringing Kessel back was not a palatable option.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Yep, if we had an experianced GM we could have made an awesome trade like 2 1sts and a 2nd for Kessel and Rask for Raycroft.

Kessel and Raycroft, what a steal, and all it would have cost us was Rask, 2 measley 1sts, and a 2nd. Those players will all probably bust.

 

[leafsfuture]

Management had no leverage. Bringing Kessel back was not a palatable option.

We did have some leverage though.

Outside of Pittsburgh, Nashville also expressed interest.

And at the very least we had time. As many have pointed out, Kessel was by far an away the best player available, whether it is a UFA, RFA or trade target.

At the very least we could wait a few weeks and see if another team jacks up their offer.

Again, I am not saying others didn't make mistakes. But again, pointing out cases of when experience screwed up doesn't negate the points validity.

 

[deletethis]

Tough to say whether this is the reason for a less than awesome return or that the acting GM's mandate from above was to trade Kessel ASAP.