Over a year ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired general manager Brian Burke to help revive a struggling franchise. Upon his arrival, Burke promised changes and he has kept true to his word.
Since his arrival in late November of last year, Burke has made a number of roster moves. The most controversial occurred this September with the acquisition of Phil Kessel for two first round draft picks and another second round pick. While there is no question that Kessel is a premier player, the move had fans wondering if the price was too high.
Here are three reasons why I believe trading for Kessel was the best move a Toronto GM has made in years.
3. Kessel is young.
- Kessel is 21 years old.
- Burke can re-acquire draft picks through a trade.
- In his young career, Kessel has already achieved a 36 goal season.
- The Leafs have a core group of prospects in their system to compensate for the lost draft picks.
2. Kessel is cheap (reasonably).
- While his 5.4 million dollar cap hit per season is the highest on the team, it is cheap compared to other superstars in the league.
- Kessel is signed with the Leafs for five years.
- Over 20 million dollars will be freed up in the off-season due to free agency.
1. Kessel makes us better.
- Since recovering from shoulder surgery, Kessel has 12 goals and 20 points in 21 games played.
- Kessel also sports an impressive plus-7 rating in a Leafs uniform.
- This season the Leafs are
- The Leafs have gone
This year, the Maple Leafs were off to their worst start in franchise history. Fans began to panic at the thought of losing the first overall pick in the Phil Kessel trade. However, since Kessel’s debut the Leafs have climbed back into the playoff race making this potentially one of the greatest moves in the Leafs recent history.
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