A news conference to introduce Fletcher is scheduled for 4 p.m. today.

"I'm absolutely convinced he's the right guy for that job," Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, who had Fletcher as his assistant GM in Anaheim, said during a telephone interview. "I don't mean to imply there weren't other worthy candidates, but he's ready for this.

"He's worked with teams who have played in the Stanley Cup Finals three different times [Florida, Anaheim and Pittsburgh]. He missed a Cup by a year with us in Anaheim, and his paws were all over that team. He's a good judge of talent. He's done all the components of the GM job. He's negotiated player contracts, he's looked after farm systems, he's worked on amateur and professional scouting. He's basically done every job in the portfolio of being a GM."