John Boruk Comcast Sportsnet Philly (a division of NBC Sports) has ranked the General Manager and Head Coach combinations in the NHL. He's not clear if he is ranking them on their reputation or on their body of work with their current team. I would assume that they are a hybrid because here's the Leafs' ranking:
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (Brian Burke/Ron Wilson) - Burke, like Holmgren, is very aggressive. He drafted the Sedins and Ryan Kesler in Vancouver, traded for Chris Pronger in Anaheim and won the Cup. He has an impressive track record, but a Toronto Maple Leafs resurrection may be his most challenging. He paid handsomely for Phil Kessel, who is finally putting up superstar numbers. His blue-line moves have been questionable. Wilson could never get the Sharks over the hump and in his first three seasons in Toronto, he has yet to make the Leafs into an Eastern Conference contender.
Biggest question mark moving forward: Can the Leafs land a No. 1 center they've desperately needed since the departure of Mats Sundin?
If it's the former then I think he ranked the Leafs' duo a bit high especially considering a couple of GMs and coaches below have more Stanley Cup rings than Burke and Wilson and if it's the latter then he's really gone too high. Although, either way, he's done well with the bottom of the list.
Here's the complete list. Where did he go wrong? What's he got right?
What do you think of this ranking?
| Seems right | 74 |
| A little off pending the end of the season | 90 |
| That's way off by any measure | 41 |
| Who taught someone in Philadelphia to use the internet? | 111 |