Just over a month ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving as general manager, marking the end of an uneventful, short-lived era. The Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and with precious few of his machinations working out, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley decided he had seen enough.
Since then, the Leafs have reportedly narrowed down their pool of candidates to take over as the next general manager of the franchise, and former Arizona Coyotes boss John Chayka appears to have made it onto the shortlist.
Former Maple Leafs Forward Flags Concern Around John Chayka for Toronto GM Chatter
Former Leafs forward Jay Rosehill, a co-host of the Leafs Morning Take podcast, has never been one to bite his tongue. When rumors of Chayka being a shortlisted contender for the GM job in Toronto sprung up, Rosehill made it clear he’s not exactly the biggest fan of the man who became the youngest GM in NHL history.
To that end, Rosehill narrated a story about his personal experience in dealing with Chayka.
“I was at the end of my career, my agent’s talking to Phoenix. I got offered a contract, it was a two-way contract, I’m 32 years old, the writing’s on the wall. Phoenix was like hey, we’ll have you here. It’s in Tucson but if we need a guy up in Phoenix, you’ll be our guy,” Rosehill said.
I recognize I’m small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, but I do have a personal experience worth sharing involving John Chayka@thegoldenmuzzy | @LMTake_ | @TLNdc pic.twitter.com/XUaKDPZtEy
— Jay Rosehill (@Jay_D_Rosehill) April 30, 2026
The former Leafs enforcer added that Chayka told him and his family to take the weekend to think about the decision, but when they agreed to sign with the Coyotes, Chayka simply told his agent that they had decided to look inward for the role, rather than bring Rosehill on board.
Rosehill said his agent described Chayka’s maneuver as “the most unprofessional thing” he’s ever seen in his life.
As things stand, alongside Chayka, Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White has also been named among the candidates for the job. Boston Bruins AGM Evan Gold, New York Rangers AGM Ryan Martin, and former Los Angeles Kings AGM Mike Futa were also invited for interviews, though there have been few updates since.
On Friday night, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Toronto had asked for permission to interview Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. “I don’t think anyone is shocked to hear that the Lightning would say no,” Friedman noted. “I do think they asked permission to speak to him and were rejected.”
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Mats Sundin, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, is also expected to join the front office in some capacity, with Chayka rumored to be the frontrunner at this stage.
The Leafs, however, appear in no rush to make an appointment.
