Fans may be disappointed that the Leafs were virtually inactive during the opening two days of the free agency meat market but I'm not. I think that Brian Burke has learned from his past mistakes - Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, Colby Armstrong and Tim Connolly. These big contracts rarely pay off. Over paying someone will not turn them into a top 6 forward or top 2 defenseman.
Who can't remember the Leafs GM bravado when he declared that his draft day was July 1 after dealing away two 1st round picks for Phil Kessel. He came away poorer after July 1 but no better. He hasn't traded a 1st round pick since then which is pretty much an acknowledgement that his Kessel trade was a mistake.
Teams lock up their star players with long term contracts so the free agent is dominated by journeymen or players on the decline. The pressure to get better during the offseason makes GMs do stupid things. How well did the Sabres' spending spree work out for them last summer? Not so good. Yet some "hockey experts" were convinced that Buffalo was going to be a Cup contender this past season. This year it's Calgary that is throwing around big contracts to players who will not be able to live up to the high expectations being set. But their families will be well taken care of.
Spending a lot of money has never worked well if the money isn't spent wisely. Brian Burke understands this. So he was able to relax on Canada Day and participate in Toronto's Pride Parade.
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