Brian Burke, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, made a controversial statement on the radio this week, even though it was 100% accurate.
The Toronto Maple Leafs committed a mistake when they dismissed Brian Burke, one of their greatest general managers ever, and gave Dave Nonis, who ended up being one of their worst, control of the team.
Burke’s understanding of parity and the necessity of taking significant risks in order to stand out from the crowd is what made him so brilliant.
Brian Burke has demonstrated that going big and bold is the way to go in the, which I wrote about last month, reevaluating his tenure in Toronto, which I now view much more positively than I used to. Chris Pronger, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Phil Kessel, and Brian Burke have all demonstrated this.
However, that is not the main point. This week, Burke made his yearly declaration that the Leafs ought to trade William Nylander by emerging from wherever he usually hangs out.
Like it or Not, Former Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke Is Correct
It’s funny, because Burke has literally been in front of the Toronto Media every year for the past few years, suggesting that trading Nylander is the right move.
I laughed at this for a long while, brushing it off as a case of sour grapes.
And he was mistaken for a very long time.
However, this year? Not in that way.
Despite the fact that the public’s perception of their respective careers has shifted, Mitch Marner is a far superior player to William Nylander.
Both offensively and defensively, he is superior. Mitch Marner is without a doubt a Hall of Famer who, if he is not traded, will finish his career as the second-best player in Toronto Maple Leafs history, behind only Auston Matthews. He is also younger, faster, and smarter than Nylander.
It is obvious that Nylander should replace Marner if the Leafs need to alter their roster and approach, or if they need to make changes to their core four players.
Sure, he just inked a new contract, and sure, the team and its supporters are showing him a lot of love right now, but trading Nylander makes sense at least. You may still lose the trade even though Marner is excellent, but you are mistaken if you don’t recognize that.
It is a fact, not my opinion, that Mitch Marner is superior to William Nylander.
Since Nylander is pricey and has a no-movement clause, it might be difficult to trade him. If necessary, though, you could force his hand. Not that you should, mind you.
Personally, I would prefer to keep both.
However, Mitch Marner is obviously not the player you trade if you are absolutely required to “make changes”. It’s ridiculous that we’re even discussing his.
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