On Saturday the Toronto Maple Leafs hired their new GM John Chayka, and by Monday the NHL draft lottery rigged conversation had taken over hockey. Chayka hasn’t been in the league for about six years after his complete disaster running the Arizona Coyotes. The new Leafs head honcho was suspended from the league after trying to circumnavigate the draft process and later attempting to weasel his way into a new job while under contract. Along with the suspension he cost the organization several high-value draft picks as part of his punishment.
All of these things made the decision to re-hire him into a coveted job highly scrutinized. To say Chayka is disliked would be an egregious understatement. This all set the stage for Monday when Steve Simmons chose to eviscerate Chayka, and Leafs CEO Keith Pelley.
Toronto hasn’t won a cup since the 60s. Yet, they remain an extremely important team for the league. No team brings in more revenue, which is extremely important for a league that partakes in revenue sharing. So, when the Leafs start getting bad press, or God forbid enter a rebuild, Uncle Gary has to step in to save the day. Less than 24 hours after a predicably disastrous press conference the Leafs were awarded the 1st overall selection in the NHL draft. The only reason to pause on the rigged allegations is the fact that it seems so obvious. Toronto hires a hated GM, the opening presser is the biggest story in the sport, the Leafs are looking at a rebuild, and then out of the clouds they win the draft lottery. To say it doesn’t look suspicious would just be a lie. Now, as a Penguins fan I cannot get too up in arms over a rigged draft lottery, we won three Stanley Cups due to this ridiculous process. However, I also cannot argue with anyone that thinks this stinks to high hell.
What’s done is done, the Leafs will be picking first. Presumably Gavin McKenna will start the 2026-2027 season on the wing with Auston Matthews. Winning the lottery means more to the Leafs than simply getting McKenna, they will also be able to retain Matthews. A report recently came out that Matthews was undecided on his future with the franchise that drafted him. Toronto took a major step back last season and given their cap/draft situation, it appeared to be a long climb back to contention. Well, that climb might have just turned into an elevator ride. Matthews, injury or not, didn’t seem himself this past season. His drop in production can almost be directly tied to losing Mitch Marner. Gavin McKenna is Mitch Marner on steroids. McKenna also helps them not overspend in free agency to replace what they lost in Marner. Turns out winning the draft lottery can be a pretty big deal.
Maybe McKenna isn’t enough to sway Matthews to stay. Maybe it will. Either way, the NHL is gearing up for an insane offseason. At least that’s what most followers, and insiders, of the league believe. That belief is not without merit; here are some storylines that will be monitored in the lead up to next October.
- McDavid and Draisaitl both called-out management for how Edmonton has taken a clear step back. McDavid only has two years remaining on his contract. Could he ask out earlier? It definitely doesn’t seem out of the question. While I agree with McDavid and Leon, McDavid is a career loser, so it doesn’t really matter where he goes.
- Parlayed into this entire list is the fact that there are simply no free agents available. Alex Tuch is crowned jewel of the class. Only one team will be able to acquire his services. Thus, it seems increasingly likely that any team looking to improve will have to turn towards the trade market, or dare I say offer sheet market.
- The Dallas Stars underperformed in the playoffs, again. They are extremely cap strapped, even with the cap bump. The team has not signed their star winger Jason Robertson. Robertson is all be certain to command 12 million in average annual value. Maybe the Stars pay him, but even if they do, they’ll need to trade off other pieces to open up cap space to improve the roster. Maverick Borque seems like an RFA that will be collateral damage if Robertson is to sign, but there would be more players leaving the Lone Star state if Robertson gets his money.
- Brady Tkachuk’s time in Ottawa may be coming to a close. The fans in Ottawa have begun to turn their backs on the captain. Most of that stemmed from Brady winning the Gold Medal, which I think is ridiculous. However, the rumors existed even before the Olympics started. Brady didn’t do himself any favors by having a bad playoff. If Brady were to become available, almost every team in the league will be jumping at the opportunity to acquire him.
- Two Russian legends are free agents. Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin are both currently unsigned in Pittsburgh and Washington respectfully. It seems like both wish to remain in the NHL, preferably with the only teams they have ever known. However, it seems like both the Penguins and Capitals may not want them back. It would be very odd to see these two in different jerseys, and it may be even weirder if they were both potentially wearing the same jersey. My guess is that they will remain in Pittsburgh and Washington but that is purely a guess. Oh, and Sergei Bobrovsky is another Russian hall of famer who might be on the move.
- This year’s trade deadline was a bit of a snoozer. It’s easier to make trades in the offseason, especially with players who have term and higher valued contracts. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Colton Parayko, Vincent Trochek, Adam Fox, Elias Pettersson, Jordan Binnington, Shane Wright, Simon Nemec/Dougie Hamilton, and Steven Stamkos were all rumored to be moved but stayed put. The trade talks regarding all of them could pick back up over the summer.
Maybe the offseason will be a dud and none of the above names will find new homes. However, with the lack of a free agent class, and nearly every team operating with cap space it seems unlikely that there won’t be any fireworks. It’s actually more likely that big names not discussed above are moved in addition to the movement of the names previously spoken about. Everyone needs to gear up for a crazy offseason, and it began yesterday with the league’s most famous franchise having the draft lottery rigged for them.
