John Chayka had high praise for both Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna which shows that Toronto's plan is seemingly all coming to fruition.
Gavin McKenna is likely headed to Toronto first overall and he'll have Auston Matthews as his captain. Both men are going to be key components to the lineup next season, and for Maple Leafs GM John Chayka - he couldn't be more excited about his plan falling perfectly into place.
McKenna is no doubt a top pick this year and with all signs pointing to the Maple Leafs bringing him in, it's going to give a generational player the type of pressure he thrives on. Meanwhile his captain is starting to see a team that actually takes action, and is reportedly in high spirits after his meeting with Mats Sundin and John Chayka.
There's a lot of excitement around the two especially if Matthews remains healthy and gets back to form, and it seems like Chayka is more than thrilled about what the two can accomplish.
John Chayka gives high praise to McKenna calling him a small-town kid with real resolve
Speaking on both McKenna and Matthews, Chayka praised both men and sounded like a GM who knows his plan is coming together swimmingly:
He's a small-town kid... Within that I think that there's some real resolve around who he is, and what his career means to him and his family, and I find him impressive. - Chayka on McKenna
All reports point to McKenna's character being elite and his kind, humble upbringing certainly helped. Always one to acknowledge those who helped him on his journey, he's a big proponent of community work which has always been a huge part of being a Maple Leafs player.
His head coach was quoted as saying 'He's kind whether he's starting or cleaning toilets.' That's the type of mentality and character traits that build legends. I don't think Sidney Crosby would be nearly as beloved and respected if he wasn't so kind, charitable and giving.
What makes it a great combination is that Matthews is committed to the present wsithwanting to win now as McKenna can be the building block for the future.
Chayka described Matthews as a happy captain which is the only answer that matters right now
Focus then shifted to the captain, who earned a lot of Chayka's respect due to his intense desire to win the Cup in Toronto and someone proud to be the leader of Toronto despite all previous reports:
We've had several conversations with him & his representatives & what I saw was a happy captain. Someone who's got a lot of pride to be the captain of the Leafs. Someone who wants to win in Toronto, which aligns with how we're thinking about it.
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That should make Maple Leafs fans breathe a huge sigh of relief because it sounds like Matthews is fully on board with Chayka's plan which clearly is going to involve McKenna.
Given that there was so much talk about Matthews wanting to leave Toronto if he didn't see any action, he's seen the team get the first overall pick, fire Craig Berube and complete a sweeping overhaul of the front office.
While there's still a lot of work to be done, the foundation is there and Matthews is a believer in the system which is exactly what you want from your captain.
Chayka's plan involves a lot more than just drafting McKenna and keeping Matthews happy, but his actions so far have to be commended and the captain has the utmost faith that things can turn around.
Let's just hope the next few moves the Maple Leafs make give him absolute confidence and a desire to come back after his contract expires.
Do you think John Chayka has done a good job as Maple Leafs GM so far?
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