New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka held his first pre-draft meeting with scouts on Wednesday, with both sides having plenty of questions but one happy certainty: the Leafs do not need a Plan B for their first selection.
Lottery Win Simplifies Draft Strategy
Winning the NHL lottery the night before gives Toronto the widest field on first dibs of all 200-plus picks to be made June 26-27 in Buffalo. While No. 1 is not a slam dunk to be Penn State winger Gavin McKenna, it certainly cuts down on debate reacting to another team's decision.
“The first overall pick is an organizational pick, important to get right,” Chayka told TSN’s Overdrive show. “We’ll dig in, I’ll be part of the process. At the end of the day, it’ll be on my record, but you have to have a good staff and empower them to do their job.”
Chayka had stated Monday that amateur scouting director Mark Leach will run the draft table for a second year, hired two years ago by Chayka’s predecessor, Brad Treliving.
Data-Driven Approach Meets Veteran Experience
The 36-year-old data-driven Chayka — “you’re always trying to find an edge, something different, not play the same game as everyone else” is how he explains himself to old-school resisters of analytics — is giving his amateur and pro scouts, many twice his age, lots of latitude to opine on No. 1 and the next six picks through seven rounds.
“I’m a process guy. Their experience, their intuition, what they’ve gone through, the mistakes they’ve made, the adjustments over decades, are super important. They’re out every day of the year and these (draft-eligible) players, they’ve seen a number of years,” Chayka said.
Meanwhile, he has been out of the day-to-day NHL for five years since resigning as GM of the Arizona Coyotes under a cloud. He and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin, the franchise points leader in his first office job, both are playing catch-up for the draft.
“It’s always getting the best book on players and I have a lot of confidence in this veteran group, really comfortable where they have things,” Chayka said. “(Top pick) is a big decision. We have to be thorough and diligent, but I have no reservations this group isn’t prepared.”
Chayka Addresses Key Topics
Chayka said he spent Wednesday getting to know everyone around Scotiabank Arena, from assistant coaches to the equipment staff to the team chef. He addressed other hot-button topics in his TSN interview.
On his alleged strained association with other GMs: “The folks I know, which is the large majority (still in place since 2021) I have pretty good relationships with. I’d point to my history of transactions. The main theme is when you’re trying to make a deal, there are two sides to an equation. By no means am I looking to make friends, I’m trying to do the best for the Leafs. But you have to be honest and forthright.”
On the report Auston Matthews is not sure he’ll return next season: “That’s not my understanding. (But) Auston has invested his entire career in the Leafs and you only have so many years as a player. As he evaluates the next decade of his career, it’s important he feels connectivity and has a similar passion we do (the future of coach Craig Berube will be part of that).”
“I want to be a good listener. He’s the captain, it’s his room, he’s been through the ups and downs of this market. Obviously, Mats has some perspective he wants to share and there’ll be some good back-and-forth in that regard.”
On changing the Leafs’ passive culture: “Like any fan, turn on playoff hockey and it doesn’t take you long to figure it out. It’s a battle, you have to be ready physically, mentally for that level. It’s a reason why Mats is a big part of what we’re doing. He knows what it takes.
“We’re going to surround ourselves with lots of individuals like Mats who can bring those elements to the table (cue the Tie Domi, Gary Roberts rumours). This time of year, you need them, but the pace of these games is also noticeable, the skating, decision-making, the reads, escaping pressure, making a play. Our job is not to miss those elements, but also have a rounded team with a diversified attack that can match up well against anybody.
“The question is not what’s gone wrong in the past, it’s where do we go from here. Use that adversity in a (positive) way.”
