Out with the old, in with the older

Yesterday, the long anticipated news hit the airwaves in Toronto. The Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager John Ferguson Jr. was fired, and replaced by former GM Cliff Fletcher. Already, the local news outlets have begun to analyze this move and opine on the future performance of one of the most storied franchises in the NHL.

Truth be told, I've been avoiding this topic since I started this blog. Writing about the mismanagement of the Leafs has become the favourite sport amongst Torontonians. In the past three weeks the cacophony of voices demanding change has reached a deafening crescendo, and I really did not see any point in adding my voice to the debate.

However, the release of Ferguson, and the addition of Fletcher demands acknowledgement.

The Leafs, as a franchise, have come to a fork in the road. They can choose to continue on their current path made of half-measures that lead to mediocrity, or they can make some real, meaningful changes that will lead to a stronger team, possibly even a Stanley cup winning team.

The first step is to give Cliff Fletcher's a clear mandate: make savvy trades to deal the large contracts of aging stars like Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Pavel Kubina and Andrew Raycroft with an eye to gaining young prospects and draft picks.

The second step should be to re-structure the front office. Money needs to be spent on a better scouting staff. A recent Globe and Mail article highlighted how bad their scouting has been - - Scott Thornton has been the Leafs highest scoring first round draft pick in the past twenty years. No offense to Mr. Thornton, but that is not good enough.

With a superior scouting system in place, MLSE needs to reduce Richard Peddie's role in operations, and do what they did with the Raptors -- find a Bryan Colangelo type who is a dyed-in-the-wool hockey man. Colangelo made an instant splash as the VP in charge of basketball operations for the Raptors, and won Executive of the Year from the NBA. He knows basketball and knows how to run a franchise. The Leafs need to find an equivalent hockey man.

Unfortunately, the Leafs have apparently alienated Scotty Bowman, and Brian Burke is under contract to the Anaheim Ducks. But the Maple Leafs still have an ace up their sleeve.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the premiere franchise of the National Hockey League.

They've got more money, more fans, and most importantly, more prestige then any other hockey franchise in the world. The Leafs have the cultural cache to woo players, scouts, and coaches to Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.

A general manager that actually has the power to make real decisions and really shape the franchise would be able to make the Toronto Maple Leafs a viable franchise not just in office towers, but on the ice again.

Here's the problem. The scenario above hinges on a big if. Namely, the nature of Cliff Fletcher's assignment. If he is being told to run the franchise as he sees fit, then the Maple Leafs might reach a Code: Ballard level emergency.

Cliff Fletcher, as former GM of the Maple Leafs is a big part of their Buds fine tradition of weak drafting. Not to be age-ist, but he's 72 years old, and being a general manager is a high pressure job that takes durability and energy, particularly if you're the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I'm not sure a seventy-two year old has those qualities.

Is Cliff Fletcher up to the task? I'm not sure. What I do know is that he is being thrown to the lion's den. Although Fletch survived it before, the lions have been starved for another decade since he was last here. They might be more wild.

Like I said above, the Leafs are at a crossroads, and the sign post is Cliff Fletcher. I think all of Toronto is hoping that he points the beloved Maple Leafs in the correct direction. Richard Peddie and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment need to make some real changes or else there may be a riot on their hands.