Mark Spector

Mark Spector is a columnist for sportsnet.ca

Brian Burke and Dale Tallon have the same goal, the same starting point, and different directions.

LOS ANGELES — They didn’t hire Brian Burke to run the Toronto Maple Leafs like everyone else runs their teams. Burke is a different cat — a guy whose barber charges by the acre; who thinks a tie is a scarf.

He is a man who figures, why wait around for good things to happen? Let's get after it and make ‘em happen sooner.

So you know Burke told ownership in Toronto the same thing he told the media every day here: He’s not going to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto by traditional methods, by drafting and waiting, drafting and waiting.

You know, the way everyone else does it.

“People should figure out with the (Phil) Kessel deal,” he said as this draft opened, “we’re trying to get better right now. Draft picks don’t help me right now.”

Dale Tallon is GM’ing now in Florida, a team that is every bit as poorly stocked as are the Maple Leafs. They finished three points ahead of Toronto — in 28th overall, to Toronto’s 29th.

But where Burke dealt his No. 1 pick to Boston for a player who scored 30 goals last season, Tallon used his to choose uber-impressive, 6-foot-4 defenceman Erik Gudbranson. He may play next season, he may not. But by the time Gudbranson is ready to be a Panther Tallon hopes that three or four of the 13 players he selected this weekend are ready as well.

Tallon is in the slow lane. Burke may speed past him 10 times on the way to the Stanley Cup, but there is every chance Tallon will get there first.

“We’ll do it with youth, size and creativity,” said Tallon, the GM who built the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks from the draft floor up before being bounced out of the job.

“I love young players, I like innovative creative players,” he said. “I like good kids, guys I can have fun with. That's what I'm all about. I'm a relationship guy. I like to develop relationships with these guys. I like to develop and see these guys have success.”

Burke came here with an ace in defenceman Tomas Kaberle, a fine defenceman at a good salary number who could have brought home a first-round pick. If only Burke were interested.

Burke has stated in his usual plain English, he is not interested in building the way Tallon builds. (Though he still managed seven picks at this draft, none higher than 43rd.)

As such, it was the Bruins introducing Tyler Seguin to Boston fans this weekend, while Burke had his press conference when he brought Kessel to Toronto last fall. That deal cost the Leafs a second-rounder as well, and a first-rounder next season that gives Burke much inspiration to win more games in 2010-11 so the Bruins don’t get another Top 5 pick.

He made it crystal clear this week: Kaberle wasn’t going to be had for picks or prospects. Meanwhile, Tallon was dealing Nathan Horton to Boston and nabbing the No. 15 pick overall.

Hey, if we were all the same it wouldn't be any fun, right?

“It’s not a case of, we’ll take the best offer we get (for Kaberle),” Burke said Saturday. “We’re going to get exactly what we want or we’re keeping him.”

Kaberle has one year left at $4.25 million, then he will become a pricey UFA. Will another GM give up a Top 6 forward who can help Toronto for years to come, for perhaps only one year of service from Kaberle?

Or is Burke dreaming?

So far, he has had just four offers for his prized defenceman.

“Three and an insult,” he corrected. “Four teams made offers, but one of them I wouldn’t view as legitimate. The others weren’t commensurate with anything that we need.”

Going from 28th or 29th to a Stanley Cup final is a long process. Ask Tallon, and he’ll tell you it can’t be sped up.

“Unless you want to be aggressive in the free agent market. But there’s no guarantee there either,” Tallon said. “The best way is add that one big free agent to get you over the hump.”

Once you’ve drafted your way into position.

But no one ever said Burke is mainstream. You never meet someone else, talk to them for a while, and say to yourself, “Hey, that guy reminds me of Brian Burke.”

So, who’s right? Tallon or Burke?

We’ll get back to you in five years on that one.