Toronto Maple Leafs: Team-Imposed Trade Deadline in Plan for Next Season

In his post-deadline remarks to the media on Monday, GM Brian Burke suggested that he is toying with the notion of imposing his own trade deadline 10 days in advance of the actual deadline, so to relieve his Toronto Maple Leafs' of media pressure next season. According to Jamie Puffer, Burke said:

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"I'm not whining about this or complaining about it—it’s what we do, it's where we live. But there's no question in my mind that there's times when this market, the pressure in the marketplace, is a millstone, not an asset." 

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Did I hear him right? Is Burke—the highest paid GM in the league at $3 million per year—complaining about the amount of media attention that his team receives?

Please. Give us all a break.

Hypothetically speaking, what if a trade opportunity should arise? Burke's ridiculous idea could potentially handcuff him from making a significant franchise move.

At no point in time should Leafs management even consider this notion.

Granted, the NHL trade deadline is probably a distraction for Toronto more so than other teams, but Burke would have us all believe that being young, famous and rich in the center of the hockey universe is just too overwhelming.

Does he really think that Toronto fans are so ignorant?

Professional hockey players get paid extremely well because they are in the entertainment business, and no NHL GM should be making excuses for that fact.

Using the media as a scapegoat is wrong.

If Burke's players can't handle the heat, perhaps he should bring in players that can—and if his team isn't playing well, he has no one to blame but himself.

Frankly, if anyone within the Leafs organization has an issue with media attention, they should suck it up.

If an average person in Toronto was offered an opportunity to suite up for the Blue and White and earn a million dollars a year to respond to media questions on a daily basis, I guarantee you that he or she would gladly accept. 

If it isn't obvious yet, no Toronto Maple Leaf is going to receive even the slightest bit of sympathy from me.

Leafs Nation will never apologize for following their team religiously, and nor should they. If that results in a constant media-enthralled spectacle, then so be it.

Players, coaches and management should either get used to it or get out!

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