The moribund Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly pursuing former club manager Cliff Fletcher to replace John Ferguson Jr. on an interim basis in the team's front office.
Dubbed "Trader Cliff" for his inclination to make radical, multi-player trades, the 72-year-old Fletcher served as the team's GM for 6 years in the early 90's. In '92 he completed a major player swap with the Calgary Flames, in which he sent Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, Jeff Reese, Craig Berube, and Alexander Godynyuk out West in return for Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Rick Wamsley and Kent Manderville. Fletcher has had stints with the Flames, Leafs, the Lightning, and the Coyotes. Fletcher is technically still under contract with Phoenix, but is no longer serving the organization.
Fletcher has been inducted in the HHOF in the "builder" category.
This does make sense on several levels.
Fletcher, perhaps most importantly of all, has an established relationship with Mats Sundin, having made the controversial Clark - Sundin deal in '94. Per Elliot Friedman of CBC, the two know and trust each other. Sundin seems entirely devoted to sinking with the lilting ship, so, amongst available interim GM candidates, his ability to communicate with Sundin surely puts him above other available candidates. Sundin's loyalty is certainly respectable and speaks volumes about his character, but he needs convincing that this is the best scenario for the club moving forward. Hiring Fletcher could also pay dividends in negotiating the return of the Big Swede. As committed as Sundin is now, you never know where his mindset is going to be if he finds a place where the grass is greener (a.k.a just about anywhere else).
Fletcher is renowned in the city, and certainly respected for bringing in Leaf legend Dougie Gilmour. He was criticized widely for his decision to move the beloved Wendel Clark, but I don't think anyone can argue that it was a well-thought out decision in the long run. This is exactly the kind of thinking the Leafs desperately require now. Hiring a rookie GM would hardly be apropos in wake of the John Ferguson disastrous era.
Fletcher's experience in blockbuster trades is also a desirable attribute. His track record in these type of situations is indisputable. The team is also without a ton of options at this point, with many potential suitors in the midst of hockey seasons. Fletcher is available and seems ideal for handling what will be the biggest decision of the season: trading the captain. It's transparent that in the eyes of the board, Ferguson is not the man to be making long-term decisions.
Additionally, Fletcher is cognizant of the pressure on a general manager in such a media-saturated market.
You still have to question, however, what climate Fletcher will be operating in. Scotty Bowman still seemed open to the idea of becoming the club's President, but was never promised autonomous authority. It comes down to the fact that Richard Peddie simply doesn't want to replace himself as the Leaf President.
There is a clear divide in the Leafs' board of directors, but there does seem to be a rare consensus that action must be taken. Fletcher makes sense on several levels. The question is, is he willing to operate in the vices of the owner's board that Bowman is strongly deterred by? There does appear to be mutual interest. But will he simply but the board's puppet, given no freedom to do his job? This could potentially be a similar situation to how the Raptors handled their re-build - assigning 70-year-old Wayne Embry to interim GM duties to clear cap space for an experienced, full-time manager to take over in the off-season. It seems to once again come down to whether or not the club's egomaniacal President will give the carte blanche authority to do what's right.
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