So if we go with your theory then the only people that can criticize Burke are former or current NHL GMs.
Well, until you have a walked a mile in someone else's shoes, you probably do not have a full understanding of the challenges they face and therefore are not really qualified to criticize them
The ability to handle to Media coverage of the Leafs is one aspect of the job that would give 95% of the public an ulcer.
As I mentioned earlier the Leafs team was a mess when Burke was hired. It will take several years to build a solid team that wins more than they lose.
The expectation that Burke will arrive and transform this team into a contender within two years is ridiculous
Three of the last 4 cup winners, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Anaheim all bottomed out and then had to be rebuilt over several years
(Pittsburgh was fortunate enough to win the lottery pick for Crosby a very special talent. Had John Fergusion Jr won that pick he still might still be running the Leafs)
The fourth, Detroit has been built into a power house consistently winning over a decade plus. But at one point they were known as the Dead Things and had to be rebuilt over several years.
Time will tell if the Kessel trade was a good one or not.
Tyler Sequin looks like he will be a very good player, but history is full of high draft picks that just could not make it happen in the NHL (Alexander Daige comes to mind), so until Sequin scores 30-40 a year for several years running or the 2011 draft pick develops into a MVP candidate, then it is impossible to properly evaluate the trade