Is Burke Handicapping Himself?

[Mack674]

I dunno, I can respect his reasoning for that though. Millionaire spoiled athletes as they are, they still have families and moving people around the continent on christmas eve just feels like a douche thing to do nomatter who you are.

Unless his "trade freeze" window is a little on the long side, Im under the impression its only like the week before christmas he doesn't move anyone ? Or is it more like 3 weeks, which would be a bit much...

The NHL has one that is December 19-27, and Burke starts his 10 days earlier, so it is effectively 18 days.

Okay well in that  case, yeah, that is a little ... how should I say... unnecessary.

I was earlier on pretty critical of Burke's seemingly "do nothing" strategy but the CBA situation obviously has put the brakes on anything else in the league and has become priority. Not really smart to make any decisions right now until we know how this is going to play out. Contract situations could change dramatically depending on what happens here.

I don't expect to see a season this year anyway. January 1st at the earliest and i'm being optimistic there.

 

[KW Sluggo]

Finally, an offer sheet or two no matter how futile they may ultimately prove in terms of acquiring the player in question, would at least create the illusion that Leaf management was trying to improve the roster.

We are under no such illusions at the present time.

Why on earth would a GM make an offer sheet for the sole purpose of keeping up illusions of trying to improve the roster? Particularly when an offer sheet from Toronto will probably diminish the the quality of the roster. The GM's job isn't to pander to the fans because we're restless.

Yeah, so he should just offer sheet guys, even if no hope at all of landing them?

Here's a tip: Even when there's not news coming out every day about the team, you can just assume that every GM in the league is doing what they can to improve their roster.  They'd be fired pretty quickly if they weren't working to improve their teams.

I love the idea that keeps getting thrown around that because Burke hasn't signed or traded anyone since signing McClement that he's been just sitting around on his porch or something.  It's only been a month since then and he's pulled off one of the more significant moves of the off-season already with the JVR deal at the draft.

Obviously he shouldn't offer sheet just any player, I never said BB should check his brain at the door.

Quite the contrary, I am suggesting he use an offer sheet as a strategy to perhaps get a needed player or if that fails, back a rival into a salary cap corner.

Cap space is an asset, lack of cap space is a liability. You need to work both sides of the ledger to get ahead.