Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Declined Massive Trade To Land Norris Champion

Back when Brian Burke was the GM, the Leafs reportedly walked away from a blockbuster trade deal that would have seen this Norris Trophy D-Man become a Leaf.

Brian Burke Walks Away From Trade to Bring in Hedman

Brian Burke's tenure as GM for the Leafs was a brief era in Maple Leafs history, however, it could have been a memorable one. Apparently, during the 2009 NHL entry draft, Burke was offered Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows, and a first-round pick (22nd overall) in exchange for #2 overall from the Vancouver Canucks.

That's not all, though, as the Tampa Bay Lightning were also on the verge of making an offer for the number 2 overall pick. The Lightning allegedly wanted Luke Schenn from the Maple Leafs on top of their first-rounder, the pick they used on Nazem Kadri. This would have all been for the Leafs to get eventual Norris Winner Victor Hedman.

Hedman Could Have Been A Leaf and Their Trajectory Could Have been Changed

Obviously, there is no telling what the Leafs or Lightning would have done with different players on their teams. Luke Schenn was never a high-performing defenseman for the Leafs in his first stint with the team. However, it is hard to say that Victor Hedman would have led the Leafs to success either.

Either way, trading for Hedman would have gotten Brian Burke a longer stay in Toronto, likely.

As seen on Puck Reporter - "Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Turned Down Trade For All Star Norris Trophy Defenseman"

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