Getty

The Toronto Maple Leafs have raised more than a few eyebrows with the reported management duo for next season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly getting ready to announce their management duo. The rumor mill has seemingly stopped on the unlikely combo of former exec John Chayka and former captain Mats Sundin.

It’s safe to say that very few people, if any, would have imagined that this would be the combo the organization would have chosen.

That said, it seems like it will be full steam ahead for the Maple Leafs. Chayka, who was once a wunderkind, is an iffy choice at best. Meanwhile, Sundin, with all the history on his shoulders, has no prior NHL management experience.

That situation prompted Maple Leafs insider James Mirtle to declare how puzzling the choice appears to be.

“I have been asking around and talking to executives with other teams, and they’re a bit baffled that this is the choice.”

The comments, as uttered in the April 30 edition of the JD Bunkis Podcast, point towards another questionable call by the Leafs’ organization.

Chayka, checkered history notwithstanding, doesn’t exactly have the best reputation in the league. Meanwhile, Sundin’s inexperience at the management level may come back to bite the organization.

Sundin Is All About Optics for Maple Leafs

Hiring Sundin is all about optics for the Maple Leafs. The organization could have opted for a seasoned exec like Mike Giilis at the senior management level. However, bringing in Sundin is all about evoking memories of a time when Toronto was a successful playoff team.

Unfortunately, those days precede a generation of younger fans. Sundin’s heyday came almost three decades ago. It was a time that mostly older fans will recall. As such, bringing Sundin into the mix isn’t necessarily going to impress the current fanbase.

As Elliotte Friedman has stated repeatedly on his 32 Thoughts Podcast, the idea of having Sundin come into the fold is about restoring pride in the franchise. That’s a telling comment as it signals that this year’s Maple Leafs crew simply gave up.

While it’s not hard to see that based on the on-ice product, it’s not quite evident how Sundin’s presence would erase that type of attitude moving forward.

Chayka Could Be “Data-Driven” Individual Organization Is Looking For

As for Chayka, he would be that data-driven individual the Maple Leafs organization reportedly wants.

It’s worth pointing out that the exec the organization really wanted was Sunny Mehta. But the now Devils GM had a much more logical connection to New Jersey. So, that situation left the Maple Leafs without their preferred candidate.

So, what does that mean for the Leafs?

Instead of looking for a more seasoned individual like Boston Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold or Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill’s right-hand man Scott White, the Maple Leafs are looking to get their fortunes on an individual who, according to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, had a bunch of fake computers on his desk, pretending to pass for a formidable setup.

If that’s what the Maple Leafs are signing up for, it could be a long, long season in 2026-27 for one of the most visible franchises in the NHL: