Overview
- Toronto introduced John Chayka as general manager with Mats Sundin as senior executive adviser on Monday, in a press conference where MLSE CEO Keith Pelley defended the choice as the product of “deep due diligence.”
- Questioned by columnist Steve Simmons, who said 19 of 20 NHL insiders he contacted opposed the hire, Pelley offered little detail, and clips of the exchange spread widely on social media.
- Chayka arrives with baggage from Arizona, including a 2020 resignation before the playoffs, a one-year NHL suspension in 2021 for conduct the league deemed detrimental, and draft-pick penalties for the Coyotes over an unauthorized scouting combine.
- Early fallout is already reported, with assistant GM Shane Doan not expected to remain and at least one outside adviser declining to join because of Chayka, according to NHL insiders.
- Attention now turns to decisions that will shape the roster, including coach Craig Berube’s status, Auston Matthews’ future, and Tuesday’s draft lottery that could send Toronto’s first-round pick to Boston if it falls outside the top five.