Brian Burke: Toronto Maple Leafs Officially Begin Pursuit?

It appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs could begin formal negotiations with Brian Burke as early as today or tomorrow.

Though nothing is imminent as of this writing, stories out of the Globe and Mail report that Richard Peddie spent the better part of yesterday talking to the eight-member board, obtaining their approval for the search committee to actively seek the free agent General Manager.

Despite the fact that no word has come out on how the vote went, it appears the board is unanimous in favour of bringing in Burke.  After all, it was the board who voted to suspend the search once it was determined that Burke was unavailable.

Gord Kirke, the powerful Toronto-based sports lawyer, has had initial contact with Brian Burke's lawyer, who is located in Vancouver.  However, nothing formal has been discussed.

Although I am not willing to label this a slam-dunk until I see pen put to paper, it would appear now that Brian Burke is on his way to Toronto.

And that raises a lot of questions, but here are three that are currently burning in my mind:

Is Brian Burke a good fit? 

When looking at the Maple Leafs roster, and looking at how crazy the city of Toronto is, it's natural instinct to say someone like Brian Burke is a good fit for this job.  His fiery attitude and willingness to pull the trigger on a deal make him a good fit for a team that has been mediocre and timid for a little too long.

What roster moves are made?

There are certainly a couple of Maple Leafs players who fans and management feel can perform better.  But all things aside, the Maple Leafs are exceeding expectations, and have been much better through the first quarter of the season than most thought.  

These initial successes makes some fans uneasy about what Burke would perhaps do to put his stamp on the team.  There is already some good chemistry and a lot of promise, and some feel Burke may make some moves that could possibly stunt that.

What happens to Cliff? 

Cliff Fletcher is a saint.  Plain and simple.  He is a real sharp hockey guy, a professional, and an even better guy off the ice. 

So what happens if Burke comes in?  Does he let Fletcher stay on as an adviser?  Or does MLSE simply let him fall to the wayside when his contract expires this coming August? 

One would hope Fletcher would stay on, or make the decision on his own to fade away.  After all, the Leafs plucked him from relative obscurity, and brought him into a scene of complete chaos and disarray. 

All he did in response was rid the team of its supposedly-unmovable dead weight, and free up cap space.  The Maple Leafs have cap room for the first time since the salary cap was introduced. 

He also was bold enough to move up and grab Luke Schenn fifth overall.  The man deserves his due.  He has served this team well.

Is Burke a builder?

For every fan you find who is going nuts over the prospect of having Brian Burke—who for two years running has been The Hockey News' top executive—at the helm, there is one who seems openly opposed.  

They believe that Burke is not the saviour the media has him made out to be, and is more of a completer than a builder.

Their point in case, of course, is in Anaheim.  There Burke inherited a team that already had its core group of guys together.  But you can't argue that without his signing of Scott Niedermayer and his trade for Chris Pronger—which looks more like a steal every day—that the Ducks wouldn't have won the Stanley Cup. 

So is Burke a builder, or a completer?  And more to the point, will the Leafs give Burke the tools to complete, or will he have to rebuild?

I think there is a lot to be happy about with this current Maple Leafs team.  Schenn has been good, and John Mitchell before injury was a solid player.  Nik Hagman looks like the free-agent deal of the summer, and the younger guys being counted on are, for the most part, stepping up. 

The organization will give Burke some good young players with talent and potential, ans a ton of cap space to spend the money wisely and make the right moves in who gets the dollars.

The Maple Leafs will give Burke some of his key ingredients.  Here's hoping he can bake us a championship-calibre team in the near future.