he makes good moves i'll give him that but he's pretty over the hill.

He's a GM, not a player.

What an appropriately silly question for April Fool's Day!

Burke is an idiot. The only team he can take credit for improving is the goddamn Boston Bruins.

So we're really saying no to the guy who:

In Vancouver, swung a trade to get the 2nd and 3rd overall picks to grab both Sedin twins, also drafted Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. He also brought in Alex Mogilny, who was still pretty decent at that point of his career. He took over Vancouver and had them in the playoffs within two years of his hiring. They won the division in 2003-04. For some reason, the Canucks decided not to renew his contract.

In Anaheim, he drafts Bobby Ryan and swings the trade for Chris Pronger that gives them the Stanley Cup, then proceeds to trade an aging Pronger to the Flyers for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, 2 first-round picks and a conditional third round pick. After setting the Ducks up nicely for the future after that, he went off to Toronto.

People put Burke's career down because of the Kessel trade, but he also brought Kessel Joffrey Lupul, who's turned into quite the player. He drafted Nazem Kadri, who looks like he's going to be a star. He somehow successfully traded away Tomas Kaberle after years of him being on the trade market forever, which he somehow got a first round draft pick for. He somehow got the Ducks to take back Francois Beauchemin. Of course, he blundered by signing Mike Komisarek and Tim Connolly, but the Toronto organization literally had nothing before Burke got there. The Marlies were a train-wreck, as were the Leafs. The Marlies are now a perennial AHL Calder Cup contender, and the Leafs are on the verge of their first playoff berth because of the team Burke built.

Seriously. How are people turning their nose up to this guy?

he was inexplicably fired by Toronto for no good reason.

When you fail to get anywhere near the playoffs in your first 4 years, there’s nothing inexplicable about it. The Kessel debacle alone should have clued in the Leafs that Burke is a loser. Then there’s the Jeff Finger signing, and the complete mis-handling of the Ron Wilson situation. I have absolutely no idea what you see in this guy.

Considering the team he built with the coach he hired is now on the verge of making the playoffs, I'm thinking Toronto gave up a little too soon on him.

To go from where the Leafs were at to where they are right now, I have absolutely no idea what you don't see in him.

... that Burke is a loser.