Like it Or Not, Ex Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke Is Right

Former Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager, Brian Burke, sparked controversy with his recent radio statement, despite its accuracy of 1200%.

The decision to dismiss Brian Burke, one of the Maple Leafs’ greatest GMs, and transfer control of the franchise to Dave Nonis, who turned out to be one of their worst, was a mistake. Burke’s greatness stemmed from his grasp of parity and the willingness to take significant risks to stand out from the competition.

From acquiring Chris Pronger to the Sedins and Phil Kessel, Brian Burke demonstrated that embracing bold moves is crucial, as I highlighted in my recent piece re-evaluating his tenure in Toronto in a more positive light.

Regardless of his past achievements, this week, Burke reemerged to advocate for the annual suggestion that the Leafs should consider trading William Nylander.

Like it Or Not, Ex Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke Is Right

It’s quite amusing because, for the past few years, Brian Burke has consistently advocated in front of the Toronto media for trading Nylander.

I used to mock this and dismiss it as bitterness, and for a long time, he was mistaken.

But this year is different.

For some reason, the public opinion of their careers has shifted. Mitch Marner has become a substantially better player than William Nylander.

Marner excels both offensively and defensively, and he’s younger, faster, and more astute. While Nylander is undoubtedly a fantastic player, Mitch Marner is a surefire Hall of Famer who, if not traded, will end up as the second-best player in Toronto Maple Leafs history, only behind Auston Matthews.

If the Leafs need to alter their Core Four or restructure their roster and strategy, Nylander should be the one to go, not Marner.

Despite Nylander’s recent contract extension and the current support from the team and its fans, considering trading him is at least reasonable. While Nylander is exceptional and trading him might not yield a favorable outcome, Marner’s skill set is on another level, and failing to acknowledge that would be a mistake.

It’s not just my opinion that Mitch Marner is superior to William Nylander, it’s a fact.

Trading Nylander might prove difficult as he’s costly and has a no-movement clause. However, if necessary, the team could potentially exert pressure. I’m not stating that they should.

Ideally, I would prefer to retain both players. However, if changes absolutely must be made, it’s evident that Mitch Marner should not be the one to be traded. The fact that this is even being discussed is absurd.