Mats willing to listen - By MIKE ZEISBERGER, SUN MEDIA

Mats Sundin admits he will keep an open mind when Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher approaches him about his future.

That does not mean he will waive his no-trade clause in order to allow the Leafs to move him by the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

Nor is it an indication that he will back off his stance of wanting to remain in Toronto blue and white for the remainder of his illustrious career.

But at least the Toronto captain seems to be receptive to the prospect of having a serious heart-to-heart chat with Fletcher in the coming weeks as the deadline creeps closer.
"We'll have to see," Sundin said after the Leafs' 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues last night at the Air Canada Centre. "We will listen and see what (Fletcher) has to say. "I have no problem talking to him."

SOME DISCUSSIONS

When Sundin mentions the word "we," he is including his longtime North American agent, J.P. Barry, who obviously wants to be included in any such discussion.
With the Leafs having dropped their second consecutive decision, at least Fletcher is keeping things in perspective. When asked if he had talked with Barry, Fletcher said jokingly: "Who's J.P. Barry?"

Fletcher, who briefly spoke with Sundin on Monday, said he would sit down with the captain for a more serious meeting closer to the deadline but "right now there is nothing going on in the league."

Well, almost nothing.

"I've talked to a couple of general managers on a preliminary basis," Fletcher admitted.
Expect the chatter to heat up with every passing week.

With Fletcher having spent much of the day picking the brains of the team's scouting staff, it was all hands on deck up in the Air Canada Centre press box watching the Maple Leafs drop a tight contest to the visiting Blues.

Director of amateur scouting Dave Morrison, pro scouts Shawn Simpson and Don Granato, amateur scout George (Chief) Armstrong, assistant general managers Mike Penny and Jeff Jackson and player development adviser Doug Gilmour were all part of Fletcher's entourage last night, carefully monitoring the play of the Leafs as the clock clicks down to the trade deadline.
"We are evaluating the organization and players around the NHL," Fletcher said as he held court in the first intermission. "Also, we're looking at guys with pro contracts in the lower leagues.
"As well, we also made up schedules for our scouts as we get closer to the trade deadline. Doug Gilmour and Mike Penny will be out (scouting) as part of that."

MEETING OF MINDS

Gilmour and Penny will join Simpson and Granato in the quest to seek out potential trade partners over the next few weeks.

Question is, who, if anyone, will Fletcher be able to peddle if the expected rebuilding job actually happens?

Sundin aside, the names of Jason Blake and Darcy Tucker have sparked plenty of speculation around town ever since Fletcher replaced John Ferguson eight days ago.
Blake, who had a goal and an assist last night, seems to be picking up his game. That might not be enough for a team to want to pick up his five-year, $20-million US contract, especially for a guy who has just 10 goals.

Unlike Blake, Tucker has a no-trade clause in his deal, which still has three years remaining at $3 million per season. While he chipped in with a pair of assists last night, Tucker has shown no willingness, at least publicly, to waive that clause.

Tucker has 13 points in 44 games this season.

So, who wants Mats? By Bruce Garroich, Sun Media

ATLANTA -- Mats Sundin is a wanted man.

And Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson wouldn't mind if his Maple Leafs counterpart switched sides in the Battle of Ontario and helped Ottawa win a Stanley Cup this spring.

Alfredsson is already Public Enemy No. 1 in Toronto, but the good people of Leaf Nation are going to have reason to hate him a bit more today after he suggested during yesterday's all-star festivities that he'd love to have Sundin join the Senators.

"He'd be a really good fit," Alfredsson said. "We've even talked about it (in the dressing room). It could happen. He is such a great leader with a desire to win."

Senators general manager Bryan Murray has made it clear he would like to add another top six forward to the mix. Unrestricted free agent Peter Forsberg has been mentioned as a possibility, but Sundin always has been dismissed because nobody believes the Leafs could possibly deal with Ottawa.

People are waiting with baited breath to find out if Sundin -- conspicuous by his absence here -- will waive his no-trade clause and Alfredsson said if he wants to come to a contender, then Ottawa should get consideration. Sundin and his agent J.P. Barry (who also represents Alfredsson) have maintained he doesn't want to go anywhere, but nobody from the Leafs has approached.

It's believed one of newly appointed interim GM Cliff Fletcher's mandates is to see what Sundin wants to do and the two plan to meet this week. The Leafs would be looking for a package that would include a roster player, a top prospect and a first-round pick.
"He has a no-trade clause and he could decide his own destination," said Alfredsson, who volunteered to play on a line with Sundin in Ottawa. "He'd probably pick one of the better teams and we're up there.

"I've had good success with him before (with Team Sweden), I don't know if it could happen, so I'm not putting much thought into it, but a lot of people would love to have him."

Alfredsson knows the Sens aren't alone in their desire for Sundin. Nik Lidstrom said he'd be willing to make a call to Sundin to get him to come to Detroit and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin wouldn't mind if Sundin moved to the West Coast.

"He could help a lot of teams with his style of play and what he brings to the Leafs every day," said Lidstrom, the Wings captain. "I don't know what's going to happen. I know Mats says he wants to stay in Toronto, but he could be an impact player for a lot of teams."
Sedin said wanting Sundin is just natural.

"Who wouldn't? He's a great player," he said. "He's one of the most underrated players in this league. He's up there every year. You see his points and it's remarkable. It would be a great fit for any team."

Alfredsson said the decision won't be easy for Sundin, who has been with the Leafs since Fletcher acquired him from the Quebec Nordiques in 1994. It's believed the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers are frontrunners if the Leafs decide to deal Sundin.

"It's a tough situation," Alfredsson said. "There's a lot of pressure from the media who are asking: 'Should he help Toronto to make them better in the future or does he want to be a Maple Leaf the rest of his life.' I'm sure he wrestles with that a lot and he's got a tough decision to make."

Tough Task Ahead For Fletcher - Canadian Press

Toronto Maple Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher won't be able to slice and dice as easily as the old days. The NHL's post-lockout landscape features a salary cap that has decreased trade activity around the league. The new NHL is also littered with no-trade clauses, more than 100 of them in some shape or form among the NHL's 700-plus players contracts.

And the Leafs have their fair share.

Core players Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe, Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle all have some form of no-trade clauses in their contracts, very much limiting Fletcher's ability to so-call ``blow up'' the current edition of the Leafs if that's what he eventually determines needs to be done.

Given Fletcher's history of blockbuster deals, he won't back away from the challenge. For now, he's going to sit back and gather all he can from the current roster.

"I'm going to meet internally with the coaches, the management group and the
scouts, and get their opinion on how they see the team playing, where they see
it can progress to, rate all the players in terms of value, and eventually come
up with a consensus and a plan in how we're going to attempt to move forward,'' Fletcher told The Canadian Press on Wednesday.

As Fletcher no doubt knows already, Sundin and McCabe have no-movement clauses, the most powerful clause in the new NHL contracts. It means not only can't you trade the player without his consent, you also can't put him on waivers or send him to the minors. Tucker also has a no-move for the first three years of his four-year deal.

Kubina and Kaberle have limited no-trade clauses so there's a little more flexibility there.

Jason Blake does not have any form of no-trade protection and former GM John Ferguson, it's believed, tried to trade him over the last few weeks. But with only nine goals in 49 games before taking the ice Wednesday night against Washington, the Leafs winger is hard to move in the first season of a US$20-million, five-year contract.

He may be easier to move as time goes on, however. His salary decreases from $5 million this season, to $4.5 million next season and in 2009-10, down to $3 million in 2010-11 and 2011-12. While the salary cap hit remains the same, $4 million per year, some teams still care more about real-money budgets and at $3 million for the last two seasons that's an easier pill to swallow.

Much like McCabe. He's earning $7.15 million this season, but goes down to $6.15 million next season and then $4.15 million in each of the final two years of his deal. His cap hit remains $5.75 million for every season, but the real money is lesser as times goes on. A club with lots of cap room may deem that appealing at some point. But again, McCabe would have to agree to a move.

Kubina will be hard to trade. He's earning $5 million a season through 2009-10 and hasn't played up to the level of a $5-million player. Tucker, who will be the first to admit he's not having the kind of year he had expected, is down for $3 million a season through 2010-11.

Kaberle has plenty of takers around the league. But there's no reason for Fletcher to move him. He's still only 29 years old and at $4.25 million a year (through 2010-11) that's a relative bargain when you consider most of the top puck-moving defencemen in the NHL are in the $5-million to $6-million range. That was an excellent contract by Ferguson.

Then there's Sundin, the classy Leafs captain who no doubt must be getting tired of being asked about his future. It's been well-documented that the $5.5-million centre will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. The 36-year-old, should he agree to waive his no-trade clause, would help the Leafs fetch a handsome ransom come the Feb. 26 trade deadline in terms of draft picks and prospects.

But the loyal Sundin has repeatedly stated this season, and again on Tuesday, that he doesn't want to leave Toronto. And quite frankly, he owes the Leafs no favours after everything he's done for the franchise over the past 14 years.

``I believe him when he says he does not want to move,'' teammate Wade Belak said Wednesday. ``I don't think he wants to go somewhere and be a rental player for two months. I think that's a sign of a good leader right there, one that's not going to abandon the team that goes somewhere where the pastures are greener. I think he wants to ride this thing out and win a Cup in Toronto. He's said that since he's been here.

``I can't see him waiving his deal at all just to go somewhere just to satisfy his need to win a Cup when he really wants to do it here.''

That's how Sundin feels right now. But Fletcher will no doubt check the captain's pulse again over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, there are no untouchables on this roster. Fletcher comes in with a fresh set of eyes.

``He has a job to do,'' Leafs forward Matt Stajan said of Fletcher. ``But he's not just going to give everything up that's in here. There's a lot of quality individuals in here that can play this game. We just haven't jelled. I think we have the talent in here.''

Belak echoed Stajan's comment, saying he doesn't think Fletcher will tear it all up.

``I don't think he's going to come in here and make some drastic changes,'' said Belak. ``You look around, we have good players. Yeah some of us haven't had good seasons like in the past, but I don't think that's any reason to blow this team up and start from scratch. If there's a deal to be made, I'm sure Cliff is going to do it. To make the team better. But I can't see him completely dismantling the whole team. ``We already have good young guys, guys in place that once we start to play better, we should be all right. I don't think anybody wants to start from the basement up.''

Toronto Sun Cover

The Beginning - Fletcher's in; Ferguson's out

Let's face it the last three years have challenged the devotion of every loyal Leaf fan out there. With two years of missing the playoffs and a third soon to come, change was bound to come. That change came this morning and John Ferguson Jr. was fired as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cliff Fletcher, the man who led the Leafs to back to back appearances in the conference final in 1993 and 94, will serve as interim GM and will be given the task of cleaning up this mess.

Trades and signings under JFJ - Sportsnet.ca

August 29, 2003 - Maple Leafs introduce John Ferguson Jr. as the 12th general manager.

Sept. 10, 2003 - Ferguson's first significant move is to sign free-agent Joe Nieuwendyk to a one year contract. Nieuwendyk would contribute 22 goals and 50 points in 64 games that season.

Sept. 27, 2003 - Signs free agent Ken Klee.

March 3, 2004 - Ferguson trades for New York Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch. In exchange, the Leafs up Maxim Kondratiev and Jarkko Immonen as well as a first-round pick (Kris Chucko) in the 2004 draft and a second-round pick (Michael Sauer) in the 2005 draft. Leetch plays well but is not re-signed in the summer and instead signs with Boston.

March 9, 2004 - Ferguson claims a struggling Chad Kilger off waivers from Montreal. Kilger responds with some high-energy play and the following season scores a career-high 17 goals.

March 9, 2004 - Ferguson picks up some more experience when he trades for Ron Francis from the Carolina Hurricanes, giving up a fourth-round pick (Jared Boll) in the 2005 draft. Francis' contributions are minimal, however, and following the season-long lockout the future Hall of Famer retires.

April 4, 2004 - The Leafs set a team record for points with 103, compiling a record of 45-24-10-3 and finishing second in the Northeast Division. After a spirited seven-game win over Ottawa in the opening round, the Leafs are defeated in six games by the Philadelphia Flyers.

June 30, 2004 - With the league on the verge of a lockout, Ferguson re-signs 39-year-old goaltender Ed Belfour to a three-year deal. Belfour, though, undergoes back surgery prior to the lockout and his injury status requires the team to pay his salary for the duration of the work stoppage.

July 30, 2005 - Coming out of the lockout, a cautious Ferguson waits to gauge the new market before jumping into the free-agent pool. But after most of the top talent is quickly secured by other teams, Ferguson finally does a deal, acquiring Jeff O'Neill from Carolina for a conditional fourth-round pick (Reto Berra) in the 2006 draft.

August 5, 2005 - Ferguson re-signs fan favourite Tie Domi, though it is widely speculated that the GM was told to by MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum, a friend of domi's. The impression that Ferguson doesn't have full control of hockey decisions begins to erode his credibility in Toronto.Also that day, Ferguson takes a gamble in signing free agent Jason Allison, who hadn't played in two years because of back trouble and the lockout. Though he earns 60 points in 66 games that season, the lumbering centreman proves too one-dimensional in the "new" NHL and a hand injury ends both his season and tenure as a Leaf.

August 10, 2005 - Signs free agent Alex Khavanov.

August 11, 2005 - Ferguson again gambles, signing free agent Eric Lindros to a one-year deal. The much-ballyhooed return of the oft-injured Lindros to his hometown is short-lived, however. Despite some early season heroics, Lindros' history repeats itself and injuries limit him to just 33 games.

September 9, 2005 - Signs free agent Mariusz Czerkawski.

January 10, 2006 - Claims Travis Green off waivers.

February 11, 2006 - With both Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe approaching free agency, a pro-active Ferguson re-signs Kaberle to a five-year deal worth $21.25 million. The yearly average of just more than $4 million would prove to be a good deal.

March 8, 2006 - Acquires Alex Suglobov for Ken Klee.

April 16, 2006 - The Leafs miss the playoffs, finishing the regular season with a record of 41-33-8, good for 90 points and fourth in the Northeast Division.

April 20, 2006 - Shedding the perceived millstone around his neck, Ferguson fires Quinn after the team fails to make the playoffs. Ferguson eventually replaces him with Paul Maurice, who had coached the team's AHL affiliate Marlies that season.

June 24, 2006 - In one of the most controversial deals of his tenure, Ferguson acquires goaltender Andrew Raycroft from Boston in exchange for Tuukka Rask, a young goalie many consider a future star. Though Raycroft would set a team record for wins (37) in a season in 2006-07, he fails to become the dominant No.1 goalie the team needs, forcing Ferguson to trade for Vesa Toskala the following year.

June 28, 2006 - Ferguson rewards defenceman Bryan McCabe with a five-year, $28.75 million deal. While McCabe scored 68 points that season, the deal raises eyebrows because it is $7 million more than Kaberle, considered the better player. Both McCabe and Kaberle are also given no-movement clauses.

June 30, 2006 - Ferguson corrects a couple of mistakes by buying out Domi and declining the option on Belfour's contract.July 1, 2006 - Ferguson makes his biggest splash, signing free agent defencemen Hal Gill and Pavel Kubina to multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. While Gill is given a relatively modest $6.3 million over three years, Kubina gets $20 million over four years; a deal many consider to be over-valued.

October 7, 2006 - In a minor deal, Ferguson signs free agent Boyd Devereaux, who begins the season playing in the AHL for the Marlies. After 30 games he is promoted to the Leafs, where he records 19 points in 33 games. A former Stanley Cup champion with the 2002 Detroit Red Wings, Devereaux becomes a steady contributor to the Leafs.

November 28, 2006 - Acquires Tyson Nash and a fourth-rounder for Mikael Tellqvist.

February 27, 2007 - With the Leafs in danger of missing the playoffs, Ferguson acquires Yanic Perreault from Phoenix in exchange for Brendan Bell and a second-round pick in the 2008 draft. A faceoff specialist, Perreault contributes just five points in 17 games.

April 8, 2007 - Though the team improves its points total to 91, the Leafs miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Their record of 40-31-11 leaves them third in their division.

May, 2007 - The MLSE board decides to recruit a mentor to help Ferguson. Those considered for the job include Scotty Bowman and John Muckler, but in August, the team decides not to enact the plan.

June, 2007 - After being promised an extension to his contract, the MLSE board opts not to grant one, leaving Ferguson with just one year on his deal.

June 22, 2007 - Tacitly acknowledging that Raycroft might not be up to the job, Ferguson trades a first-round pick (Lars Eller) and a fourth-round pick to San Jose for Toskala and forward Mark Bell. While Toskala emerges as the team's top goalie, Bell must first serve a 15-game suspension for violating the NHL's substance abuse policy and faces a six-month jail term once the season ends.

July 1, 2007 - In what is hailed as a good move, Ferguson signs free agent forward Jason Blake to a five-year, $20 million deal. Blake had scored 40 goals the previous season with the New York Islanders, but shortly before the season is to begin he announces he has been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia. To his credit, Blake continues to play but his goal output drops significantly and by mid-season he has just nine goals.

November 27, 2007 - With the team struggling and the fans clamouring for change, Leafs president Richard Peddie is quoted on the front page of a Toronto newspaper admitting that hiring Ferguson was "a mistake." Though publicly humiliated by his boss, Ferguson downplays the drama, calling it "background" noise.

January 11, 2007 - Claims Dominic Moore off waivers.

January 14, 2008 - After a disastrous road trip through California in which the Leafs lose all three games, reports emerge that the Leafs are talking with Cliff Fletcher as a possible replacement for Ferguson. Fletcher previously was GM of the Leafs in the 1990s.

January 22, 2008 - Ferguson is fired and replaced by Fletcher.