Toronto Maple Leafs: Leafs Take Kadri, Thoughts On Day One of NHL Draft

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Nazem Kadri is a bust.  Brian Burke is an idiot.

At least that's what some in Leafs Nation are screaming this morning after the Leafs failed to trade up in the first round of last night's NHL entry draft.

And to be honest, it's really quite a shame.  

It's hard to blame Leafs fans for being a little edgy, after all, they have suffered through mediocrity for some 40-plus years.  However, to immediately cast Kadri off and say it was, as one fan put it on a message board, "a waste of a pick" is downright embarrassing.

You see, last night, there really was no right answer for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Sure there were scenarios that most fans dreamed up in their heads that were far fetched to begin with, but it really didn't matter what the Leafs did last night.

Because Brian Burke didn't trade for John Tavares, Brayden Schenn, and trade Tomas Kaberle for five first round picks, the night was an absolute, and utter failure right?

Wrong.  In fact, dead wrong.

Sure, Brian Burke didn't help himself by publicly declaring his virtual bromance with John Tavares, but the fact of the matter is, Burke worked feverishly and diligently to move up in this year's draft, and in fact had a deal on the table (more on that later). 

But the simple fact remains, he felt the price too high, so he picked where the Leafs were slated to, seventh overall, and selected a pretty damn good player in Nazem Kadri.

So now that we've had a few hours to settle a bit, I ask those in Leafs Nation to take one giant step back from the ledge and let me explain how this draft wasn't a loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Start from the very beginning of this story.

Moving up to grab John Tavares

Again, like I said, Burke didn't help himself by making his feelings for JT known.  Still, the simply fact remains that even if he wanted to make a deal, it was impossible.

Brian Burke is a smart hockey mind.  In fact, he is a lot of things.  Unfortunately, magician isn't one of them.

See, the New York Islanders never once entertained the idea of trading the No. 1 pick.  Though there was some shroud of mystery over who they were selecting, there is no doubt they were using that pick from the word go.

Therefore, everything Brian Burke perhaps wanted to do, was contingent on the New York Islanders and what they had planned for the first overall pick.

Once they chose Tavares, there was little reason for Burke to deal Luke Schenn and other assets away to Tampa Bay.

Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene are top class prospects and no doubt will be great NHL players, but Burke wanted Tavares.

And once he was off the board at No. 1, it didn't make sense for Burke to risk as much assets as Tampa GM Brian Lawton wanted to move up to the two spot.

Selecting Nazem Kadri seventh overall

After much speculation, the Leafs held onto the seventh overall pick, and with it selected Nazem Kadri, a shifty, playmaking centre from the OHL's London Knights.

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