Chayka listening on the number one pick is not panic it is the smartest move he can make

John Chayka is listening to offers involving the first overall pick. It may seem crazy to pass on that chance, but it's all part of a bigger plan for the Maple Leafs.

Chayka and the front office fielding offers is a totally reasonable thing to do. If they weren't listening to offers for the first overall pick, it would cast serious doubt on the front office's ability.

Here is the ideal part of the plan: in a way, you find out what teams truly value the first overall pick as; if a team is willing to move heaven and earth to get the number one overall pick, they presumably think Gavin McKenna (the most likely option) is a generational talent.

So at the same time, you are gaining additional info and getting information on what the scouts think when it comes to the current draft.

The reality is most franchise-changing talents go within the top 10 of the draft, and most franchise-changing talents on the offensive side go within the top 5, and more recently 1-3; think your Connor Bedards, Macklin Celebrini's, Matthew Schaefer, and by most accounts, Gavin McKenna isn't far off from those three as prospects.

At the same time, you get a sense for what the market is in the NHL. What if Edmonton would be willing to trade McDavid one-for-one for the first overall pick?

Because if he leaves the franchise in two years, they are left dead in the water for the next decade, but with Gavin McKenna, they have at least a more certain timeline for the foreseeable future.

What if the Leafs could add a number one defenseman in someone like Zach Werenski? What if the deal is so good it helps you for the future and now? You need to be able to field these types of calls and see what is available; it is easily the most valuable trade asset around.

Listening to offers lets John Chayka find out exactly what. teams think McKenna is worth and that's priceless info

For a team like the Leafs, the thought of having a star player on an entry-level contract has to be incredibly enticing, but it is also enticing for all these franchises who might be up against the cap.

The Leafs are in a position I've never seen before, which we have a lot of that to thank Brad Treliving for as former GM. The Leafs' next two picks are not in the organization and are unprotected, so they are in a win-now position.

Therefore, Chayka and the front office might have to get creative with the pick. What if they don't like McKenna and value getting a proven commodity and maybe additional draft capital? Fielding these types of calls really allows Chayka to gauge the market on what teams are willing to do to move up substantially in the draft.

Now, let's be honest, the odds they actually trade the number one overall pick are next to impossible.

Toronto's odds of trading the first overall pick are nigh impossible but it's worth exploring any hypotheticals

The most common sport where we see the number one overall pick traded is the NFL, and that is primarily because of the premium the quarterback position provides.

For example the Chicago Bears in 2023 thought they had a quarterback in Justin Fields, ended up trading out of that spot to Carolina who gave them the number 10 overall pick, DJ Moore, and the 2024 first-rounder that also ended up being number one overall where they then drafted Caleb Williams.

But in the salary cap era of hockey, no one has ever traded the number one overall pick. So fielding calls is likely to result in nothing other than information for Chayka and Mats Sundin to use going forward.

Now, if they fielded a call where they were to move it, what would that trade even look like? It makes you wonder what it would take. A fantastic player, plus additional draft capital? Could it be a top-five player in the NHL straight up? A number one defenseman like Moritz Seider and additional draft capital, etc.

Ultimately, the pick will be made by Toronto unless something drastic happens that no one in the hockey world could predict.

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