tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post5227852620023510317..comments2023-07-25T11:40:43.810-04:00Comments on Blue Chip Prospects: Phil Kessel: Chasing the RocketCurt Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817914669452185454noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post-70333403098843662982012-02-09T13:57:46.818-05:002012-02-09T13:57:46.818-05:00Curtis Joseph was their backup.
Even if we don...Curtis Joseph was their backup.<br /><br />Even if we don't consider that they had an experienced backup, Toskala put up the worst goaltending numbers since the end of the lockout. There is no way to predict or control for that and in the absence of it, the pick wouldn't have been a lottery pick.<br /><br />Varlamov is a different case entirely as everyone expected Colorado to hover around the lottery pick zone and the player that they acquired in Varlamov was a far less valuable asset than a 22 year old coming off of a 36 goal season.<br /><br />Knowing what Burke knew, it's hard to condemn him for the deal.Curt Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10817914669452185454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post-34869956029165087032012-02-09T12:54:27.798-05:002012-02-09T12:54:27.798-05:00The point is if you are trading your first round p...The point is if you are trading your first round pick you need to be pretty certain that you are not trading away a lotto pick. <br /><br /><br />Look at Colorado with Varlymov this year - that trade could have been a disaster. Fortunately they had giggy to dig them out. <br /><br />Who was Burke's back up - any GM depending on an inexperienced NHL goalie while trading away their #1 draft pick is asking for it. Poor risk/reward tradeoff there by Burke. Colorada managed it better.<br /><br />Who was Toskala back on leafs?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post-26159336308834149102012-02-09T11:43:07.241-05:002012-02-09T11:43:07.241-05:00It's easy to say with the benefit of hindsight...It's easy to say with the benefit of hindsight that with Toskala in net, the pick was bound to be a lottery pick, but let's remember the context of the time.<br /><br />Toskala had just had a great finish to the season and was a player that the Leafs were offered a first round pick for (when first round picks were at their peak value).<br /><br />What we ended up getting from Toskala was historically bad goaltending and had we got even league average (or even below average) goaltending, the Leafs would not have been a lottery team.<br /><br />As it turns out, the price for Kessel was steep but to say that we should have known it would be a second overall is ignoring some of the things that we couldn't have realistically known back then.Curt Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10817914669452185454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post-35508142787579133232012-02-09T11:37:31.699-05:002012-02-09T11:37:31.699-05:00At the time the leafs looked like they would pick ...At the time the leafs looked like they would pick 10-15 overall. The loto pick was a risk, but certainly no one believed the Leafs would be picking 2nd overall.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2610527122550067891.post-33105748174232613712012-02-09T10:56:52.230-05:002012-02-09T10:56:52.230-05:00Kessel was worth 2 firsts and a second.
But wha...Kessel was worth 2 firsts and a second. <br /><br />But what GM in their right mine would trade a lotto pick + top 7th draft pick + 2nd for a player? <br /><br />Burke's team goofed and should have realized depending on Toskala in net (and then trading for underachieving goalie) is not the best time to trade away draft picks. <br /><br />The only way he gets credibility back on this trade is if the team makes a deep playoff run with Kessel before he declines. But seriously (a lotto pick and top 7).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com