Best Flames Trades Countdown: #2 – Here comes Lanny

Back when he was general manager of the Calgary Flames, Cliff Fletcher had a reputation for constantly tinkering and tweaking his hockey clubs. After an initial season in Calgary that impressed many onlookers, “Trader Cliff” kept on doing his thing.

He made four trades in November 1981 in a 15 day span. One of them is more fondly remember than the rest.

Fletcher’s four trades seemed to be about changing up the mix of the team. They had managed to make it to the third round of the 1981 playoffs, but Fletcher seemed intent on more sustainable, lasting success than just one big run.

Finally, Fletcher sent Don Lever and Bob MacMillan to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a fourth round pick and Lanny McDonald.

Lever and MacMillan were solid, productive players. Lever scored at just under a point-per-game pace for parts of three seasons with the Flames, while MacMillan did the same over five seasons. For his part, McDonald was almost as productive with the lowly Rockies as he had been with the Toronto Maple Leafs – he had been moved to Colorado as part of owner Harold Ballard’s cold war with Darryl Sittler.

Anyhow, the Flames traded two guys that were good hands but were hardly transcendent for a guy that was a natural fit for the franchise. McDonald immediately emerged as the most dangerous sniper for the Flames – he had 34 goals in the partial season after arriving from Colorado, then had 66 goals in his first full season with the Flames (still a record).

The fourth round pick was used for college player Bill Claviter. He never played pro hockey. It was alright, though, because the Flames managed to turn a mid-season “let’s change up the mix!” trade into landing a cornerstone piece of their franchise and the first player whose jersey they retired.

Lever and MacMillan were good players, but McDonald was obviously a special player and an absolute steal in a trade.