It’s now official. The Toronto Maple Leafs have ended speculation regarding the front-office search by naming John Chayka as GM. Meanwhile, Mats Sundin will come aboard as a senior adviser.
We’ll get to Sundin in a moment.
One of the first reactions is why the announcement now? On a Sunday? The chatter had suggested that the Leafs would make the announcement on Monday. Perhaps Keith Pelley had a round of golf and just decided to move things up.
That said, what’s even weirder (hiring Chayka is pretty weird) is that Sundin is now officially a special adviser. After the chatter had suggested that Sundin would take on a vice-president role, now the official situation is that the former Leafs great will just be a “Chayka whisperer” of sorts.
And that’s the thing. Sundin is coming into the picture to be the responsible adult in the room. It shows that the organization doesn’t fully trust Chayka. His checkered history is well-known, and, well, I’ve said that people deserve a second chance.
If Chayka has learned from his mistakes, he could rise like a “phoenix out of Arizona,” proving to the NHL he’s every bit as talented as once believed.
Until he can prove that, Sundin will be his handler. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sundin take the bulk of media ops, talk to people around the league, and act as something akin to an ambassador for the team.
Such an arrangement would allow Chayka to work behind the scenes as he rebuilds trust around the league. And if Chayka should not quite work out, Sundin will be there to handle the situation.
In a way, Sundin’s role is a type of public relations gig. Such roles are not uncommon in politics. Sometimes, up-and-coming politicians have a famous last name, money, and charisma driving them up the polls. But they lack experience and knowledge of how the game works.
Think of young presidential candidates who have an older, established running mate. That’s what Sundin is. Chayka is the top of the ticket, with Sundin being the face people trust. At the end of the day, Maple Leafs fans would vote for Sundin, but they’ll be getting Chayka instead.
For the sake of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, let’s hope that Chayka has moved on from his past transgressions. Most importantly, let’s hope that Sundin can balance the equation. It’s a risky move, but if it works, the Leafs could be knocking one out of the park.
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