- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says the Leafs are waiting on Mats Sundin’s decision before locking in the front office
- If Sundin signs on as VP of hockey ops, John Chayka steps in as the next GM
- Read below for each guy’s backstory and why Toronto is leaning into an unconventional setup
The Maple Leafs’ front office overhaul comes down to one decision, and Mats Sundin is the man making it.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell on Oilers Now Tuesday night. Toronto is waiting on Sundin to say yes, and if he does, John Chayka becomes the team’s next general manager.
Friedman doubled down Wednesday on his 32 Thoughts podcast. “As it stands right now, I’m under the impression it’s gonna be Sundin and Chayka, and they just have to close the deal,” he said. “Nothing is done until it’s done, but that’s what I believe is going on.”
Sundin’s title would be vice-president of hockey operations. Chayka would run the GM duties. If Sundin passes, Stars assistant GM Scott White is still in the mix.
Bringing Sundin back to MLSE is a swing. He spent 13 seasons in Toronto, wore the C for 11 of them, and still sits as the franchise’s all-time points leader at 987. He’s beloved in the city. He has also never worked in an NHL front office.
His most relevant management experience is consulting work with Sweden at the 2013 World Championship and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Friedman said the Leafs aren’t bringing him in to shake hands. They want him driving decisions.
Chayka is the more polarizing half of the pair. Arizona made him the youngest GM in NHL history when they hired him in 2016 at age 26.
His tenure ended in 2020 under ugly circumstances, with the Coyotes accusing him of negotiating with other clubs while still under contract. The league suspended him. Arizona also forfeited a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 first-rounder over an unsanctioned scouting combine he ran for draft prospects.
He hasn’t worked in NHL management since.
Toronto fired Brad Treliving on March 30 to kick off the search. Friedman previously reported that Chayka and White were the last two GM candidates after Rangers AGM Ryan Martin was told he was out. Sundin entered the picture later, separate from the search firm Toronto hired for the hockey ops job.
This combination would mark a sharp departure from the Brendan Shanahan-Treliving era. Pairing a Leafs lifer with an analytics-leaning outsider isn’t subtle, and per Maple Leafs Hot Stove, that’s the point.
Sundin’s call comes next.
