Not all of Brian Burke's worst went to waste

 

    All we heard during Brian Burke four years in Toronto are those who bitched and complained on how bad of a job he did. The last thing his critics would admit is when Burke’s took a gamble and it paid off. 

   Back on July 3, 2011; the Leafs and Nashville Predators pulled off a surprising four player trade. The Leafs acquired center Matthew Lombardi (who played 2 games during the 2010-11 season) & a very solid defensive prospect Cody Franson. In return the Preds obtained a fourth rounder (only because Lombardi played 60 games + last year, seldom used defenseman Brett Lebda (who played no games with Nashville or the organization) & forward Robert Slaney an ECHL player at best; 3 goals in 72 AHL games.

    Yesterday the Leafs moved Lombardi to Phoenix for a conditional draft pick. Worst case they get a fourth rounder; if he re-signs in Phoenix it then turns into a third rounder. So when its all said and done.... the Leafs get a top six, maybe a top four de-man who at a minimum scores 8 goals and 25 points, for years to come; for two nobodies who served no purpose at all. One of Burke’s shrewdest moves as the Leafs GM.

    One of the other better transactions was getting rid of Jason Blake & Vesa Toskala to the Ducks for JS Giguere. Now I’m not claiming he did job he was brought into do; but getting rid of Blake & Toskala was a miracle to say the least