Craig Morgan admits he was surprised to see former Coyotes GM John Chayka’s name in mix for Maple Leafs job
“I’m pretty surprised, I have to admit. When John departed the Coyotes under the terms that he did, I honestly thought he was blackballed from the NHL. I never thought he would resurface in the league, but here we are,” Morgan said. “It’s a crazy story. One of the crazier stories that I’ve heard in a while, with all the things that went on with Chayka, with the Coyotes, his reputation, and I honestly think a lot of executives dislike John Chayka. I’m really surprised to see it at this point.”
At the time of his hiring, Chayka was 26 years old, becoming the youngest GM in NHL history, bringing a young, data-driven mind to the Coyotes organization. During his time with the Coyotes under Alex Meruelo’s ownership, Chayka compiled a record of 131-147-38 and guided the Coyotes to one postseason berth during the 2020 season.
Meruelo and Chayka would go on to have an ugly divorce just prior to the playoffs in 2020, which began in August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately leading to a very public dispute between the two. Morgan spoke about the perception he felt Chayka had earned for himself throughout his NHL career.
“I think he had a bit of a bad rap even before the Meruelos came in. We can analyze the situation after the fact and wonder how real that was coming from someone like Alex Meruelo, but some of the criticisms I always heard of John was that he always acted like he was the smartest guy in the room at such a young age,” Morgan said. “Honestly, on the flip side, I often think that John was the smartest guy in the room. He’s a really bright guy, but what he lacked was experience in this league. He got the job so young and hadn’t really paid his dues, and honestly didn’t know a lot about the business.”
“I know he’s pegged as a data-guy, and I’m sure that’s a big reason why they [Maple Leafs] have probably turned to him. There are a lot of missteps, I think, he made simply because he was too young. He probably should have had someone shepherd him through that process.”
Friedman also reports that the Maple Leafs are awaiting a decision from former captain Mats Sundin to work in a prominent role alongside Chayka. When asked whether this could be the veteran presence that Chayka needs to help him, Morgan said it could depend on how much Chayka has grown over the past six years.
“I don’t know how that relationship is going to work. I don’t know how Mats Sundin would work in that role. What we also don’t know is how much John Chayka learned from his past, and the mistakes he made,” Morgan said. “I think what always gets lost in these processes, whether it’s a coach or GM that doesn’t have success in one setting, we automatically label that person a failure when you’re not allowing for growth and learning, which happens to just about all of us in our jobs. I don’t know whether John has progressed. I can’t speak for that because he hasn’t been in these sorts of roles, but I do know he’s a self-reflective guy, so if he’s looked in the mirror a bit, maybe he’s made some changes and has some new ideas.”
The market Chayka could potentially enter in Toronto is vastly different from the one he dealt with in Arizona. The media presence is greater, the noise surrounding the team is louder, and the pressure to win is a whole different animal. Many fans and media members have questioned whether Chayka is the right fit in this crazed hockey market.
“It’s a really good question, and one the Maple Leafs’ brass should be asking because you are talking about total ends of the spectrum, from a team that got very little local media attention to a team that gets all the local media attention, maybe even too much media attention,” Morgan said. “Everything he says will be under the microscope. Is he prepared to handle that? Do they think he’s prepared to handle that? That’s a really important question when making this hire.”
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