Sundin/Chayka Combo Has Inside Track

The Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, appear to be on the verge of hiring former Leaf and Hall-of-Famer Mats Sundin and former Arizona GM John Chayka. Friedman indicated on Wednesday’s 32 Thoughts podcast that Sundin wants to restore the pride in his former club that seemed to slip last season and theorizes that his title will be VP of Hockey Operations and that MLSE is currently negotiating with Sundin. 

Friedman also said that Sundin was not a candidate forwarded by Neil Glasberg’s PBI Sports Agency, and that some of the people interviewed were aware of his potential involvement with the new management structure. If Sundin is hired, then Chayka will be the new GM over Dallas AGM Scott White, but if Sundin is not hired, he does not know where things will go. 

Another candidate that was in the mix until recently was former Los Angeles Kings AGM and current FAN 590 radio co-host Mike Futa. Futa revealed on Wednesday that he had been informed he was out of the running for GM, but would be open to joining the organization in some other capacity.  

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta indicated that there is a relationship between Sundin and Chayka, and if that combo is hired, that there could be a significant upheaval in the Leafs management ranks. Shane Doan has interviewed with the Vancouver Canucks, and may not return as he was brought in by Brad Treliving, while other AGM’s Derek Clancey, Daryl Metcalf, and Brandon Pridham could also move on. Pagnotta also indicated that former Leaf Tie Domi could be somehow brought in for a non-hockey operations position. Domi is close with Sundin, and Chayka, who was GM in Arizona when Max Domi played for the Coyotes from 2015 to 2018.

While there is no doubt of Sundin’s affection for Toronto and the Maple Leafs organization, that does not mean he is the right choice for the job in a critical juncture of the franchise. Sundin has no experience, absolutely none in management or scouting. Even Brendan Shanahan, who served as an absentee Team President for 11 years while living in New York City and parachuting into Toronto from time-to-time, worked for the NHL as head of the Department of Player Safety. 

Chayka’s record as a GM is spotty at best. The 36-year-old  relies heavily on analytics, and after hitting on Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun in the first round in 2016, his three other top picks (P-O Joseph, Barrett Hayton, and Victor Soderstrom) have been middling or busts.