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Leafs Front Office 2026 | Official: Sundin & Chayka to lead front office

For me anyway, new hires have typically given me some optimism…..this?

No way.

And if Bérubé stays even to start the season it’s the final insult for me.
 
Range of emotions and thoughts on this:

-- Sundin is and always be my favourite Leaf of all time, so him being back in any capacity, let alone a significant one like this, I'm all for.

-- Maybe the title doesn't matter, but senior exec. advisor, hockey opers. seems like a weird one. Why not v-p or president?

-- I really don't think Sundin - who never really screamed as a management type nor one who would show interest in it - would take on this role after 15+ years of retirement and living in his homeland with his young family if it wasn't worth his while. Especially if it is true they will be moving here full time.

-- I do think the idea of delivering a Stanley Cup to Toronto, something he was unable to do as a player, skewed things into him taking the position.

-- Chayka reporting directly to Pelley is concerning. GTFO of the way, Pelley.

-- Similarly, Sundin's inexperience is not too much of concern to me if he is less hands on in the hockey making side and more in the overall culture of the Leafs and laying the proper foundation down, both off and on the ice. I do wish though he was the bridge between Chayka and Pelley.

-- I didn't care one bit for Dubas at the time, nor did I care for Chayka either as being a part of their "new wave" of GMs. He wouldn't have been my top choice, but...

-- ...old or young. Experienced or inexperienced. Stanley Cup or no Cup. Doesn't matter at this point. We have had a flavour for all types in the last 20 years, and all have failed (some more miserably than others). As such, I'm willing to give Chayka a chance here. What's there to lose at this point. So long as he is proactive, slightly out of the box, willing to make the big move and/or hard decision, and sets a path forward.

-- But frig...Pelley. The guy just does not give any positive vibes as an executive nor for the overall direction of the team. Really hope I/we am/are proven wrong.
 
Peter D. said:
-- Chayka reporting directly to Pelley is concerning. GTFO of the way, Pelley.
Click to expand...

Whoever was hired was always going to have to report to Pelley, the President of the MLSE board representing ownership. If Chayka is someone Pelley respects and isn't constantly second-guessing, there shouldn't be much meddling from that direction.

Peter D. said:
-- ...old or young. Experienced or inexperienced. Stanley Cup or no Cup. Doesn't matter at this point. We have had a flavour for all types in the last 20 years, and all have failed (some more miserably than others). As such, I'm willing to give Chayka a chance here. What's there to lose at this point. So long as he is proactive, slightly out of the box, willing to make the big move and/or hard decision, and sets a path forward.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm hoping for as well. Pick a lane and go get it.
 
Peter D. said:
-- ...old or young. Experienced or inexperienced. Stanley Cup or no Cup. Doesn't matter at this point. We have had a flavour for all types in the last 20 years, and all have failed (some more miserably than others). As such, I'm willing to give Chayka a chance here. What's there to lose at this point. So long as he is proactive, slightly out of the box, willing to make the big move and/or hard decision, and sets a path forward.
Click to expand...
This is what we thought was in place when Shanahan took over, but then he got in his own way and refused to adjust the course when it failed year after year. We don't have to re-litigate the entire Shanahan era, but many mistakes were made, starting in 2016.
 
Zee said:
This is what we thought was in place when Shanahan took over, but then he got in his own way and refused to adjust the course when it failed year after year. We don't have to re-litigate the entire Shanahan era, but many mistakes were made, starting in 2016.
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It's true. It's also probably true that we shouldn't blame Chayka/Sundin for the faults of Shanahan. Nor should we be blaming any iteration of the team for 1968-present. They deserve the chance to screw it up. Shanahan started hot with the rebranding stuff but when push came to shove he wasn't able to make the tough choice. Now we are in the salvage the dregs mode of this era. It will either go well or be a disaster but they should probably get the chance to make those changes before we hate on the moves.
 
L K said:
It's true. It's also probably true that we shouldn't blame Chayka/Sundin for the faults of Shanahan. Nor should we be blaming any iteration of the team for 1968-present. They deserve the chance to screw it up. Shanahan started hot with the rebranding stuff but when push came to shove he wasn't able to make the tough choice. Now we are in the salvage the dregs mode of this era. It will either go well or be a disaster but they should probably get the chance to make those changes before we hate on the moves.
Click to expand...
That's basically where I am - let's see what they do this summer, at the very least, before declaring these the worst hirings ever. That being said, if Berube is still around by the draft, I'll happily invite questions into what exactly they're doing and what the plan is. I don't expect them to can him in their first few days or anything, but they need to get to it sooner rather than later.
 
herman said:
My question is, are those Chayka qualities not available in other AGMs that aren't Chayka specifically? Because the baggage (fair or unfair) and the reputation around the league of the publicized situations sort of put him and the Leafs on the backfoot for every interaction going forward. Like choosing to wear a fur coat to crawl through a velcro tunnel.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2051281726240890889
He hasn't even received a security lanyard and people are already calling the NHL cops and 'media' are jumping at the tabloid opportunities. Again, fair or unfair, it's going to colour the proceedings as people imbibe headlines without critical thinking (like that Simmons hit piece about all the computer terminals).
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What was incorrect about Simmons' reporting?
 
bustaheims said:
That's basically where I am - let's see what they do this summer, at the very least, before declaring these the worst hirings ever. That being said, if Berube is still around by the draft, I'll happily invite questions into what exactly they're doing and what the plan is. I don't expect them to can him in their first few days or anything, but they need to get to it sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...
Well its not like we have a choice - we're stuck with whatever they do whether we like them or not. I think most people are going to give this front office a chance, but that doesn't mean you can't look at candidates' prior history and available candidates and have major reservations with the hires.
 
Bender said:
What was incorrect about Simmons' reporting?
Click to expand...

He was the one that claimed Chayka was a Glasberg client, which was refuted later. Simmons evidently will write columns from single-sourced anecdotes. He's not always wrong (Hakanpaa knee), but he's also been wrong plenty (hot dogs).

This is the story he wrote and shared
https://twitter.com/x/status/2049704982748762201
https://twitter.com/x/status/2050642183296831679
Chayka left office in July 2020, and Armstrong didn't come in until September. It's a smelly story played up to present the outgoing guy as a charlatan.
 
I won't be able to watch live, but I'm sure I'll be able to see every statement repeated 14 times by the Leafs/NHL beat tweets
 
Bender said:
Well its not like we have a choice - we're stuck with whatever they do whether we like them or not. I think most people are going to give this front office a chance, but that doesn't mean you can't look at candidates' prior history and available candidates and have major reservations with the hires.
Click to expand...

It is what it is, right? I'm not overwhelmed with the hire but maybe it'll work out. And while I really want Berube gone, I'll even give the team a chance to prove something if he isn't fired. But if next year starts off looking like this one, and Berube is still the coach...I won't have much time for that.
 
Chris said:
It is what it is, right? I'm not overwhelmed with the hire but maybe it'll work out. And while I really want Berube gone, I'll even give the team a chance to prove something if he isn't fired. But if next year starts off looking like this one, and Berube is still the coach...I won't have much time for that.
Click to expand...
I mean that's just it. The difference is how much rope I'm willing to give and truthfully I'd rather not be a fan or highly pare back my fandom for the next few years if it starts going the way I think it'll go.
 
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