The hidden theme in how the Maple Leafs drafted this year

Chemistry and familiarity is the name of the game for John Chayka, as not only did he hire Jim Hiller but he also drafted in a very particular way.

John Chayka is someone who is no stranger to the difficulties of a GM position and he's trying to give himself a leg up by bringing in some familiar faces to ease the transition. First, Mats Sundin brings a nostalgic kick to the front office, and Jim Hiller was brought in to lead this time, not just assist.

But it also seems like Toronto is going a specific route when it comes to their drafting strategy too, as the team seemed to have a pretty good idea of how they wanted to approach things and it all has to do with that feeling of familiarity.

The World Juniors chemistry play was Chayka's first coup

Toronto drafted Gavin McKenna, Zac Olsen and Ethan MacKenzie all in 2026 while drafting Ben Danford in 2024. What do these four have in common? All four played together for Team Canada in the World Juniors, and in the case of MacKenzie and Danford - on the same pairing.

Obviously the main goal here was to surround McKenna with prospects he was familiar with and had prior chemistry with as they will be able to come into the lineup and slot in a lot easier knowing how McKenna operates.

With all four of them together, there's a brotherhood and sense of unity. Add in Easton Cowan as well and you have a core of six players all who have experience playing with each other, and who build off and feed off each other's skillset.

He also snagged the best goaltender in the World Juniors with Patriks Plumins and it's clear that during the Boxing Week that the tournament was on, Chayka was as engaged as ever (as were his many scouts).

The Saskatoon Connection and the Oil King Duo

Speaking of Olsen, he and fellow Maple Leafs draft pick Cooper Williams were teammates in Saskatoon, and with both being centres, they obviously fed off each other there too. It's again following the theme of familiarity and comfort, as he wants to transition everyone a lot quicker than normal.

But not only that, but in bringing in MacKenzie from the Edmonton Oil Kings, they also add a teammate of fellow Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka, a player who is expected to be part of the lineup sooner than later.

Whatever John Chayka did with his scouting team deserves a lot of praise, as he was able to secure the right pieces that fit together, and also eliminated cap space by trading for the 73rd and 76th pick and dumping Brandon Carlo - adding Olsen and Mads Gudmundsson.

Chayka's chemistry quota is getting filled to the brim, which is why he decided to go 'off the board' with one of his last selections.

Yaroslav Fedoseyev's selection was meant to bring a mean streak to the Maple Leafs

Fedoseyev is an odd pick but not because he's bad, but because he didn't fit the mould of Toronto's uber-mobile strategy. MacKenzie, Gudmundsson, and Alexander Bilecki are all offensively minded players but Fedoseyev offers a different look.

While still a solid skater who could be a decent offensive complement, his true strength lies in his fearlessness and desire to inflict pain and crushing hits at every turn.

Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis wrote a bit on Fedoseyev and put it simply - he likes to cause damage:

He's more about shutting you down and getting in the way physically than trying to do much with the puck. He likes to hurt people.

Well, that's what you need to protect Gavin McKenna in a few years, and it's always great to have a physical and menacing presence who can step in when things get hairy. He's got a lot of room to add more size and he could be a scary player in a few seasons.

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