Four weeks from the beginning of a new era for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the general manager tasked with casting its leading man continues to weigh the options, mull the choices.
At the centre of the decision are two names: Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, the two top prospects heading into the draft later this month, where John Chayka’s Maple Leafs hold the first-overall pick.
Conventional wisdom would suggest McKenna, the Canadian winger who’s become something of a household name in hockey circles, may be the talent more likely to hear his name called first on June 26. Speaking with the media in Buffalo on Friday at the scouting combine, Chayka shed light on his meetings with the Penn State phenom.
“We’ve spent a lot of time with him and his family,” Chayka said. “Just going through that process — we want to make sure we get the person right, first and foremost. Everyone’s seen him play and knows his skill level, and the talent. But as we think about a Toronto Maple Leaf and what that means, we’re just really digging into that part.
“It’s about getting the right person — in a market like this, I don’t think you can miss on that.”
When it comes to the Whitehorse product’s character, Chayka said he’s been impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“Really nice young man. Really quality family. We spent some quality time with them, got to know them. You know, he’s a small-town kid. … Within that, I think there’s some real resolve with who he is, and what his career means to him and his family. I find it impressive,” Chayka said.
“Obviously the brain and the talent is evident. Just the instincts, and his raw ability, I think are interesting. And the quality of the family, the quality of the people, how much family means to him. His roots, how important it is for him to give back to his community that’s given him so much. I think those are all really interesting things.”
As for Stenberg, the Swedish standout who’s been tearing up the SHL with Frolunda, Chayka said the organization’s been leaning on senior advisor Mats Sundin to assess his countryman.
“He has a good book on him over several years now, and spent time with him in Sweden as well. So, just getting the full background, the full history,” Chayka said. “We were able to interview him here, we’ll spend some more time with him. He’s a smart, competitive player. He had an amazing worlds. Real high-quality person, high-quality player. Really fond of him.”
Heading into the final weeks before draft day arrives, the Maple Leafs find themselves weighing a monumental decision for the organization’s future. Past the choice between McKenna and Stenberg, there are plenty of other potential routes available to explore — whether to use the No. 1 pick to add a different promising talent, trade the pick away for more immediate help, or trade down and draft the type of blue-chip offensive defenceman the Maple Leafs have long craved.
Asked Friday about the myriad possibilities draft day will bring, Chayka made clear Toronto will simply select the best player available when the time comes, and said trading the pick is unlikely — though not impossible.
“I would say the probability is we take the pick, just realistically,” he said. “We have had discussions (about trading it) — we’ll continue to have discussions. Obviously everything’s for sale at the right price.
“To date, there’s nothing compelling that we’re seriously considering. But there’s still time.”
Leafs’ coaching search started with 55 candidates, now moving to next phase
In the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs appear to be pivoting to experienced candidates in their search for the club’s next head coach, with University of Denver bench boss David Carle seeming to be out of the mix.
On Friday, Chayka reiterated that the club is taking its time to comb through a wide swath of candidates before making their decision.
“We’re not focused on some artificial timeline. We’re really focused on conviction,” the GM said. “I think it’s been a long time since there’s been a full search for this organization. And I think it’s important for us to take our time and get it right. You know, this is the next leader of the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
The club considered 55 candidates in total during the initial phase of the coaching search, per Chayka, with roughly 20 of those warranting in-depth conversations and consideration.
“I want to make sure we’re not missing anything, so we cast a pretty wide net,” he said. “Of those 20, not all are legitimate candidates for the next round, but a lot of really good people, and we learned a lot — it’s good in our position to hear different perspectives, get a coaching perspective and breakdown of our style of play and where we stand. It’s been a really good process so far.
“So, no timeline, no time constraints — when it’s right, we’ll make that decision. But we’re going to be patient and get it right.”
Chayka on meeting with Matthews: ‘What I saw was a happy captain’
While all attention is focused on the draft and the Maple Leafs’ first-overall decision, much is yet to be sorted with the rest of the roster. After a disappointing campaign that saw Toronto miss the post-season for the first time in a decade, plenty of roster surgery is still needed before the club can be expected to find meaningful progress.
Asked Friday if he expects to make some trades in the coming months to shake up the lineup dynamic, Chayka said the club remains focused on improving its roster.
“Certainly as we look at our team, we need to fill some holes. There’s equal parts free agency and internal improvement and hopefully some trades that make sense,” he said. “I would expect we do some things. The timing of that, I’m not sure, and depends on the counter-party too.”
One name unexpectedly circling the rumour mill in regards to potential trades is captain Auston Matthews. Amid reports that the former Hart Trophy winner remains uncertain about his future in Toronto, Chayka suggested Friday that he believes Matthews is intent on continuing on in blue and white.
“We’ve had several conversations with him and his representatives. What I saw was a happy captain,” the GM said. “Someone who’s got a lot of pride to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Someone who wants to win in Toronto, which aligns with how we’re thinking about it.
“We’ve spent the better part of these three weeks getting to know everybody, getting some face time, and connecting with them. And just listening, honestly — hearing about how the season went, the trends, the things that we think are opportunities, and collaborating on that. No different than with Auston. We continue to have those conversations.”