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Top 5 Best Toronto Maple Leafs General Managers of All-Time

By Stephen Nixon

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 22: Kyle Dubas (L) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders talk on the draft floor during Rounds 2-7 of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 22: Kyle Dubas (L) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders talk on the draft floor during Rounds 2-7 of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs – Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan at the draft (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager position is one of the most decorated jobs in professional hockey and in over 100 years, just 17 men have been fortunate to have accepted that position.

The job of being the Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager (GM) has the same responsibilities as the other 30 teams in the National Hockey League. To quote the late, great Al Davis: “Just Win, Baby.”

Unfortunately winning is not as easy as that sounds. The NHL has never had so much parity, and if a GM doesn’t win in their first two years, the clock usually strikes midnight and they’re fired.

With that being said, of the 17 men who have been the Toronto MapleLeafs GM, only three of them have won a Stanley Cup, and the last GM to win (Punch Imlach) died in 1987, so it’s been a while.

Despite not winning a Stanley Cup since 1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seen a number of quality executives over the years, so let’s breakdown the top five most notable GM’s of all-time.

5. Brian Burke (November 29, 2008 – January 9, 2013)

Best Trade: Philadelphia Flyers trade James van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke Schenn

Worst Trade: Boston Bruins trade Phil Kessel to the Toronto for a 2010 first-round pick (Tyler Seguin), a 2010 second-round pick (Jared Knight) and a 2011 first-round pick (Dougie Hamilton).

Best FA Signing: Tyler Bozak signs a two-year $3 million contract

Worst FA Signing: Tim Connolly signs a two-year $9.5 million contract

Best Draft Pick: Morgan Rielly (2012 NHL Entry Draft, 5th overall)

Worst Draft Pick: Tyler Biggs (2011 NHL Entry Draft, 22nd overall)

Grade: C –

Final Thoughts: Burke was looked at to save the Leafs when he arrived. Unfortunately, his truculence style didn’t work out in Toronto.

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