Editor In Leaf
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Grading Every Brian Burke Trade as the Toronto Maple Leafs G.M.

By Stephen Nixon

WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 3: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs plays the puck down the ice during second period action against the Winnipeg Jets on January 3, 2015 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets defeated the Leafs 5-1. (Photo by Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 3: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs plays the puck down the ice during second period action against the Winnipeg Jets on January 3, 2015 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets defeated the Leafs 5-1. (Photo by Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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WINNIPEG, CANADA – JANUARY 3: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, CANADA – JANUARY 3: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Trade #11 – Toronto trades 2010 1st Round Pick (Tyler Seguin), 2010 2nd Round Pick (Jared Knight) & 2011 1st Round Pick (Dougie Hamilton) to Boston Bruins for Phil Kessel  – September 18, 2009

Thoughts: When Burke made this trade, he didn’t expect his team to have the second overall pick, but unfortunately it happened and the Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on the second best player in the 2010 draft.

The next year’s pick was just as bad, as Dougie Hamilton has gone on to become one of the very best defenseman of his era.

Kessel was one of the better goal scorers in Toronto Maple Leafs history but this trade never needed to happen as the Leafs leveraged too much of their future for Toronto to only play in one playoff series during Kessel’s six years with the team.

Grade: F – 

Trade #12 – Toronto trades Jiri Tlusty to Carolina Hurricanes for Philippe Paradis – December 3, 2009

Grade: D

Trade #13 – Toronto trades Jason Blake & Vesa Toskala to Anaheim Ducks for Jean-Sebastien Giguere – January 31, 2010

Thoughts: Burke was able to shed Jason Blake’s contract and get rid of a struggling Vesa Toskala, while J.S. Giguere was a serviceable back-up during his short-stint in Toronto.

Grade: B- 

Trade #14 – Toronto trades Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan & Ian White to Calgary Flames for Keith Aulie, Dion Phaneuf & Fredrik Sjostrom – January 31, 2010

Thoughts: Stajan had a nice career in Calgary, but overall the Leafs still got the best player in this trade with Dion Phaneuf. Criticize Phaneuf all you want, he was still a top-pairing defenseman for years on the Leafs back-end.

Grade: B +

Trade #15 – Toronto trades Alexei Ponikarovsky to Pittsburgh Penguins for Luca Caputi & Martin Skoula – March 2, 2010

Grade: C

Trade #16 – Toronto trades 2010 6th Round Pick (Joe Rogalski) to Pittsburgh Penguins for Chris Peluso – March 3, 2010

Grade: C

Trade #17 – Toronto trades Lee Stempniak to Arizona Coyotes for Matt Jones, 2010 4th Round Pick (Philipp Grubauer) and 2010 7th Round Pick (Kellen Jones) – March 3, 2010

Grade: D

Trade #18 – Toronto trades Martin Skoula to New Jersey Devils for 2010 5th Round Pick (Sam Carrick) – March 3, 2010

Grade: B

Trade #19 – Toronto trades Joey MacDonald to Anaheim Ducks for 2011 7th Round Pick (Max Everson) – March 3, 2010

Grade: C

Trade #20 – Toronto trades 2010 7th Round Pick (Kellen Jones) to Edmonton Oilers for 2011 6th Round Pick (David Broll) – June 26, 2010

Grade: C+

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