John Chayka reveals what he really thinks about McKenna, Cowan and Bobrovsky

Early in the season, there has been no shortage of storylines surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs. One of them has, of course, been the defense. The progression of Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, and the play of Sergei Bobrovsky have been three fairly loud talking points in this market.

McKenna seems to make an eye-opening play every night, but his usage and ice time are always being debated, whether it is in the media or at the water cooler. Cowan has seemingly taken a massive step since leaving the NHL roster at the end of the regular season and joining the Toronto Marlies on their incredible Calder Cup run. Then, there's Bobrovsky, who has more pedigree than maybe any netminder in the league, but has also given up at least three goals almost any time he's between the pipes.

General manager John Chayka sat down with the media on Monday to share his thoughts.

McKenna's progression and how the coaching staff is approaching his rookie season

Mckenna has three goals and eight points through 14 games in his rookie season. Despite moments of flash and pop, it is clear that head coach Jim Hiller and the coaching staff are being cautious about how much they throw at the 18-year-old.

"Gavin's been great. Like, things you see from him, it's not hard to forecast out and see that he could be a top player in this league one day," Chayka told the media on Monday. "The idea that 18-year-olds come in, even if they're first overall picks, and they're ready to dictate outcomes and be superstars - if you actually look at it, that's pretty rare and almost never happens. And so, for Gavin to come in and make the impact he has, it's been great. I know Jim and the coaching staff love working with him. He's gotten better pretty much every game. You know, there's been ups and downs, like any player, but a lot of good trends."

Tempering expectations is a hard thing to do when it comes to a first-overall pick, especially in a city like Toronto, but I would agree with that assessment so far.

Chayka's thoughts on McKenna's ice time

Even though it happened a couple of weeks ago, you know he was going to be asked about the apparent benching of McKenna against the Buffalo Sabres.

"When it comes to protecting a lead, as a coaching staff, they're trying to win hockey games at the NHL level. And for all of Gavin's offensive gifts coming in the league, playing without the puck when you're used to having the puck your whole life, you'd probably guess there are players on our roster that they get paid to play better defensively. And for your coaching staff to lean on those players a little more heavily probably makes logical sense. But as we work through a development process with Gavin - and that's what it is - I have no doubt his time will come, and he'll continue to build up trust and confidence with the coaches. That's all really healthy, actually. It's actually the right thing for his development.

"And candidly, I thought Jim handled it well and continues to build a relationship with Gavin, and I think it's going to be a really good relationship over a long period of time."

Cowan's development and if he is untradeable

For all of the turnover that took place on the Maple Leafs' roster this offseason, it is the internal progression of Cowan that has been maybe the most fascinating to watch. At least for me, it is.

With six goals and 13 points in 14 games this season, Cowan is on pace for 36 and 78. Will he hit those numbers? Maybe. Maybe it'll be a little more or a little less. But considering he has 17 goals and 42 points last season, it stands to reason that he will almost certainly exceed those numbers, which is very encouraging.

He is also just really noticeable. There's no stat attached to that; he's just all over the ice, and his intensity and drive are apparent almost every shift. A tough outing in Calgary doesn't change any of that, by the way.

"It's tough to say he hasn't exceeded expectations. At the same time, he's a good player," Chayka said on Monday. "He's a really good player that impacts the game a lot of different ways, and he's been great. Any time you get young players progressing like that, it gives you a shot in the arm. We saw a lot of these flashes at the American League (AHL) level. To do what he did at that age was pretty special. But then to go elevate at this level, it's been nice found money for sure"

Now, it's clear that the Leafs need help on the blue line. I wrote an article recently about how they need a top-line guy, and how Cowan would probably be the price to pay, but that they should only move him if an absolute stud is available. So, is Cowan untradeable?

"I don't think any player is untradeable, but he's a good player," Chayka said. "He's everything you'd want in a Toronto Maple Leaf. He loves the Leafs, he's passionate about it, plays a 200-foot game, does whatever it takes, in the gym, on the ice. It'd be tough to ever improve on a player like that."

Bobrovsky's start and managing his workload with Anthony Stolarz

I personally don't think Bobrovsky has been as shaky as his numbers suggest, but allowing three goals a night isn't going to cut it long term. That's obvious enough. He is 3-4-2 to start the season with an .897 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.09 goals-against average (GAA).

"He's historically a slow starter. I think this is his best start - if you look at some of the (data) adjustments in the last four to five years. You need to win points and you need to have a good start to the season. But Sergei, we brought him in to be there when the pressure ramps up and we need a rock back there. So, he's moving well. He's doing a lot of great things. It's been great to have him in the locker room, around the guys. And his presence and his detail and his preparation and his approach to wins, approach to losses, it doesn't really change. So, there's a lot of really good things there."

That's all well and good, and I do agree, for the most part. But it's hard to ignore that, aside from one start, Anthony Stolarz has looked really good to start the season, so maybe it should be more 50/50 than it has been to start the season. I'm not saying it should or shouldn't be, but it has to be a thought. Stolarz is 4-1-0 in five games and has a .907 SV% and a 2.79 GAA.

"Beginning with the end in mind a bit, and it's a long season. Both Sergei and (Stolarz), you look over their careers, most goalies benefit from rest. And so, we're really confident in both goalies and have an affinity for Double A (Artur Akhtyamov) down with the Marlies and believe he's a good option as well if needed. And so, we feel like we have a bit of a luxury to be thoughtful and look at all different options, and then ultimately try to win games. But have a bigger goal in mind, too, of keeping guys fresh and healthy and ready to play."

It's a long-term mindset for Chayka

Something I have appreciated so far in Chayka's tenure, is his messaging on building. His mindset on the long term. His offseason was incredibly busy and the turnover was extensive. That doesn't mean he will be prone to knee jerk reactions if the season goes sideways.

"It's been a bit of a journey, ups and downs, adversity," Chayka said of the season so far. "Some games we played well and didn't get the results. Some games we didn't play well, got results. We've got a little bit of momentum here now, but it's October, we're not in the business of trying to win games in October. We're trying to build a team over time that can be great when the games matter."

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