"There was a time, not so long ago, when John Ferguson Jr. was running the Maple Leafs and traded a first-round draft pick and two other draft selections for goalie Vesa Toskala.

Maybe that'll work, was the response. The team needs a goalie, after all. But what's the plan?

Well, let's just say right now only the thick and misguided would have much doubt about what the plan is for the Leafs with Brian Burke at the controls.

Get tough. Get more North American. Then get tougher.

Last weekend, Burke drafted seven players, including among them one of the better fighters in the Ontario Hockey league and two big lads, one 6-foot-5 and the other 6-foot-6.

If they ever make it, it won't be because they're good stickhandlers.

Yesterday, after making a fruitless trip across the ocean to make a face-to-face pitch to Henrik and Daniel Sedin, only to find they'd signed back with Vancouver before anyone else could make them an offer, Burke didn't whine or complain.

He got busy.

First came a free-agent deal for slugger Colton Orr, formerly of the New York Rangers. The young man can play some, but he's not joining the Leafs to provide scoring.

Then came a deal that sent big blueliner Pavel Kubina to Atlanta. In return, the Leafs received rearguard Garnet Exelby, arguably one of the nastier open-ice hitters in the NHL.

Finally came a $22.5 million deal with free-agent defenceman Mike Komisarek, a 6-foot-4, stay-at-home type who struggled at times last season largely because he injured his shoulder in a fight with Boston's Milan Lucic.

Sounds like a Burke-type player, except the other guy should end up hurt.

So while you can debate the quality of the players acquired yesterday or the overall philosophy, you cannot dispute that Burke is doing exactly what he said he'd do when he was hired in December to run the Leafs."