Before hiring John Chayka the Maple Leafs need to address the unresolved Arizona Coyotes question from 2020
Photo credit: David Wallace - AZ Central
When John Chayka left the Coyotes in 2020 it was under some controversial circumstances, and the Maple Leafs need to be careful if he's their guy.
There's a lot of rumours recently that the Toronto Maple Leafs are narrowing down their search for a GM and that former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka is a frontrunner alongside Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White.
Chayka has been out of the game for a little bit though his mix of analytics and youth brings a lot of hope for a team that desperately needs a jolt of life in their bloodstream; and for a guy who made his own analytics company — you can't do much better.
Though it's a great addition to a front office that has looked pretty stagnant recently and needs a lot of work, it's also something that does some with a serious red flag: Chayka's controversial past.
John Chayka's sudden departure from Coyotes should scare the heck out of the Maple Leafs
While it's nothing too ludicrous, there is some controversy over how Chayka's tenure ended with the Coyotes. He was nailed for illegal scouting practices which involved looking at prospects separate from the NHL Combine; a big no-no in the league's eyes.
Then, he was rumoured to be looking for other jobs while leading the Coyotes and his inability to commit fully to the team led to a lot of scrutiny, and he resigned and stepped out of the limelight.
Since then he has been running JKC Capital as their CEO and hasn't been involved in the hockey scene since leaving the desert.
While there's a great benefit to having a guy who is willing to try and bend the rules in his favour, this is only going to cause issues if he keeps trying to circumvent the NHL.
The league already has a presumed bias against Toronto and stoking their bad side is only going to worsen things.
Plus, what if he doesn't like the pressure? In Arizona he had to deal with a team that was seen as an afterthought; so much so they no longer exist anymore.
In Toronto he is going to have to face questions for every single decision he does or doesn't make, and with so much pressure to turn the team into a contender right away — will the cracks already start to form?
Chayka's a gamble that's worth taking — they're playing with house money after all
Though he's got some warning signs attached to him, there is something to be said about who Chayka is as an executive.
He's the youngest GM in NHL history and was hired at 26, so clearly he was viewed highly from the start, and he was able to bring in some success to the Coyotes.
There's also a connection to the team already with Max Domi and Oliver Ekman-Larsson having already played muncher Chayka though the jury is out if either are a member of the team come October.
He also drafted the likes of Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, and current Maple Leafs Matias Maccelli. Of course the draft record isn't perfect but he does have some solid additions to his name.
He's still only 36 years old, and knowing that he's also someone willing to put the youth movement at the forefront, it's great news for the likes of Easton Cowan, Jacob Quillan, and William Villeneuve.
To be honest, you're never going to please everyone and regardless of it being Chayka, Mike Gillis, or anyone else that's hired — they have one job to do and it's make the Maple Leafs better.
Or, for lack of a better phrase: Trust the process.
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