Why Toronto Maple Leafs' Brian Burke is a Great G.M.

There has been far too much talk recently (mostly from fans) that Brian Burke is overrated, that he destroyed the Canucks and that he had the good fortune of inheriting a good team in Anaheim.

Both of these are untrue and it seems that most professionals in and around the game would agree. Most notably would be Hockeynews, naming Burke the league's best G.M.

Burke did not walk into a good situation in Anaheim as many will say. HE signed Niedermayer, HE signed Selanne, HE traded for Scotty's d-partner Beauchemin, and HE traded for Pronger. Had Burke not made those moves, the Ducks never would have won the cup.

Brian Burke built that team in Anaheim. Selanne, Niedermayer, Beauchemin, Pronger, and even guys like Marchant, Sutherby, and up and coming Bobby Ryan are all holdovers on the Ducks, there because Burke brought them there.

Let's not forget that Burke was responsible for the long term deals to Getzlaf and Perry, and knowing to back off after Dustin Penner was given a ridiculous offer sheet from the Oilers. Burke brought the Ducks their first cup, he was not handed anything.

Sure he has had problems with the cap, but he does what he has to do to put a competitive team on the ice.

He may have overpaid for replacements for Teemu (Bertuzzi) and Scotty (Schneider), but the fact of the matter is he tried to replace two guys holding his team hostage by not coming back till mid season.

They may not have been the greatest moves in the world, but the team still recovered by moves he made again.

With Vancouver, some say he ruined that franchise but that is a load of bull too. One of his best moves was the draft day dealings to get the second and third picks to take the Sedins. People complain and gripe about Burke for very uneducated, very bias reasons.

There is a reason the Ducks won the cups, there is a reason Hockeynews ranked him as the league's No. 1 G.M, and there is a reason the Leafs dished out a long term high salary deal to the man...he is a great G.M.