[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The problem with the Kessel trade wasn't what the Leafs gave up for him, but rather it was when the trade was made. They were too far away from pulling out of the rebuild for that trade to make sense. They needed cheap young talent more so than a guy who can put up points on a terrible team.

If they had made that exact same trade a year or two later in their rebuild, it would've been fine and a great trade in my opinion. Nobody slams the Simmons + Schenn + Pick for Richards trade. That's because the Kings were in the appropriate time period in their rebuild to make a move like that.

As for Burke, I really do not like this move. I do not think that Burke is the right guy to build this team the right way, and I think the Flames have been making a lot of good moves since moving Iginla.

Wait and see is basically how I'm taking it. I just hope that they don't start firing people for no reason (they've been good recently)

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Way off.

Kessel was a 21 year old coming off of a season where he was 8th in the league in goals/game.

When does it not make sense for a rebuilding team to acquire that player?

If he were 30 years old... you have a point. But he wasn't. He was 21, had only played 3 years in the NHL, and was already a top 10 goal scorer.

This is like de ja vu argument for how much of a genius Feaster is for offer sheeting ROR. (the whole waiver thing aside)