Leafs GM Chayka addressed the Matthews trade question and what he said made it clear that chapter is closed
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka shut down any Auston Matthews trade speculation as he noted that he's 'the exact player' he's wanted to build around since Arizona.
As John Chayka took the table to be presented to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the media, it was meant to signify a new era that is going to lead them into the postseason once again. However it came with a ton of tension and an uncomfortable atmosphere that set things on a rocky course before they even began.
But with many questions about the hiring process and minimal about the roster, we are still left wondering if they are going to make moves to beef up the blueline, add forward depth and make Auston Matthews happy.
Chayka said he spent his entire Arizona career searching for a player like Matthews and that one quote tells you everything
Though there have been talks that if the wrong guy is brought in that Matthews might be out of town, but it sounds like he's the guy Chayka has been wanting his whole career.
When asked about Matthews and his future with the team, Chayka mentioned how special he was and that Matthews was the exact type of player he coveted when he was running the Coyotes all those years ago:
I just came from an organization where we spent our entire existence looking for that exact player.
Considering that the Coyotes were a team who tried to bring in many up and comers and future stars such as Clayton Keller, they were never able to bring in that game-changer and hometown hero like Matthews.
There would have been a great story there with the Arizona native leading his home state to a Stanley Cup, but a mediocre draft record never really gave them the chance to find that next homegrown talent (even if he wasn't from Arizona).
But it's clear that Matthews is going to be a huge factor in this retooling, and the fact Chayka has the chance to build around someone he's been looking for since he started — it could prove to bring loads of success.
The Matthews trade conversation is over and Chayka made that clear before anyone even asked
But you never know right? There's always a world where the captain could be traded away for a massive haul that would change things forever.
Well, not really if Chayka is to be believed. This pretty much shuts down any conversation about the Maple Leafs trading their captain away. The new GM is foaming at the mouth for the chance to build a winner around Matthews and the last thing he's going to want is to give him away.
Matthews does hold all the cards anyways, and he might be a little frustrated knowing that his idol in Shane Doan is likely headed elsewhere and no longer around. If he feels slighted or resentful — watch out.
We can sit here and criticize the hiring but until we see some genuine moves being made and proof that the team is focused around Matthews it's best to hope good things to come.
But it seems like no matter where you sit on the fence when it comes to the hiring of John Chayka as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one thing is a forgotten conclusion: Auston Matthews isn't going anywhere.
But whether or not Toronto goes anywhere themselves is going to be up to Chayka and his crew.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The first moves of the Chayka era involve Craig Berube and Shane Doan and neither went the way fans expected
The first moves of the Chayka era involve Craig Berube and Shane Doan and neither went the way fans expected
Previously on Hockey Patrol