2026-27 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion | Official: Sundin & Chayka to lead front office

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075222503107018899

As expected. Mark Giordano promoted to assistant coach with the Marlies.

 

[herman]

Here comes the feel bad

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075238026519670807

MLSE preparing to spend big on players, not staff

 

[YYZ]

Here comes the feel bad

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075238026519670807

MLSE preparing to spend big on players, not staff

The Chaykanator strikes.

Two months on the job Sundin and Chayka seen enough to see where the cracks in the org are.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Here comes the feel bad

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075238026519670807

Morrison, meh he's been here forever doubt that's a big loss.

I've been saying since even before Dubas was fired the impact our analytics group has had on our teams success feels a little underwhelming, so I've been expecting a revamp of that for awhile.

Leach is definitely the biggest shock. Obviously it's too early to judge but he's seemed to be doing well running the drafts. My guess though is Brackett brings his right-hand man from Vancouver and Minnesota, Dan Palango, over here to fill that role.

MLSE preparing to spend big on players, not staff

Not really sure we can make that assumption yet until we see how these roles get filled.

 

[YYZ]

Morrison, meh he's been here forever doubt that's a big loss.

I've been saying since even before Dubas was fired the impact our analytics group has had on our teams success feels a little underwhelming, so I've been expecting a revamp of that for awhile.

Leach is definitely the biggest shock. Obviously it's too early to judge but he's seemed to be doing well running the drafts. My guess though is Brackett brings his right-hand man from Vancouver and Minnesota, Dan Palango, over here to fill that role.


Not really sure we can make that assumption yet until we see how these roles get filled.

I don't think MLSE is being cheap. I would guess ownership is asking where all this money is going, and why don't we have anything to show for it.

 

[cabber24]

Common sense and data prevail.

 

[cw]

Here comes the feel bad

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075238026519670807

MLSE preparing to spend big on players, not staff

I think the opposite. They'll continue to spend to the cap and spend to stock the Marlies.
They're going to overhaul their technical evaluation of players

 

[herman]

Maple Leafs' front office overhaul continues: Leach, Morrison, and Metcalf exit the organization

The Maple Leafs’ front office overhaul continues. The club has reportedly parted ways with a litany of staff members, including Darryl Metcalf, Assistant General Manager of Hockey Research and Development; Mark Leach, Director of Amateur Scouting; and Dave Morrison, Senior Advisor of Player...

mapleleafshotstove.com

Following the draft, Brackett conducted an interview with the Leafs, and one particular comment stood out:

There have been some good conversations and some challenging ones, but that is always going to be the case. We are building rapport and building trust.

The reference to “challenging” conversations naturally stands out. Whenever you bring together people from different organizations, backgrounds, and philosophies, there are bound to be disagreements before everyone is in alignment.

There was also some indication that Leach’s future was up in the air when Brackett—not Leach—addressed the media following the draft. Just three weeks earlier, at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, Leach spoke on behalf of the scouting staff.

Noted in the Terry Koshan piece referenced is the departure of half of the analytics department alongside the dismissal of AGM Metcalf:

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Director, Hockey Systems | Wesley Waldner
Analysts, Hockey Research & Development | Lou Farah, Bruce Peter, Jill Reiner
Senior Developer, Hockey Research and Development | Andrew Low
Developer, Hockey Research and Development | Cameron Farquharson

Edit: Latest update to the management page also cuts Carmeron Farquharson

 

[cw]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075222503107018899

As expected. Marc Giordano promoted to assistant coach with the Marlies.

I'm happy for both of them. They deserved it.
They're following a tough act ...

 

[mr grieves]

Not really sure we can make that assumption yet until we see how these roles get filled.

This isn’t in isolation. After the Chayka and Hillier hires, I think the data points are adding up.

Edit to add: oh and the 200+ media jobs across a half dozen stations.

 

[mr grieves]

Not really sure we can make that assumption yet until we see how these roles get filled.

This isn’t in isolation. After the Chayka and Hillier hires, I think the data points are adding up.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075314183412044134

Another AGM departs (last previous regime AGM left, other than Ryan Hardy I think)

Dr. Wickenheiser is awesome, but at the same time, who can we point to as a development win?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Dr. Wickenheiser is awesome, but at the same time, who can we point to as a development win?

That's the thing. I'm sure all the individuals being let go are good people, but ultimately this team hasn't succeeded in a lot of areas over the past long, long, long time so it's tough to really say change throughout the organization isn't warranted. You can't always just change the person at the top and expect that to be enough.

Again, with Leach being the one exception as he would be the only one being let go with a short track record here.

 

[herman]

Prior to the Chayka/Sundin hire: https://web.archive.org/web/20260417031533/https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/team/management

 

[4EVRLEAFAN]

I forgot about Hayley, leadership wanted to go in a different direction, wonder what that means

 

[Zee]

That's the thing. I'm sure all the individuals being let go are good people, but ultimately this team hasn't succeeded in a lot of areas over the past long, long, long time so it's tough to really say change throughout the organization isn't warranted. You can't always just change the person at the top and expect that to be enough.

Again, with Leach being the one exception as he would be the only one being let go with a short track record here.

Yeah I don't even know how a fan can evaluate all these front office changes. We go by how good the product on the ice is, and the prospect pool to a lesser extent. I have no idea how much any of the people who were let go contributed to any of the actual on ice results.

 

[YYZ]

I enjoyed Dr. Wickenheiser's evaluations after the prospect camps.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075319289926578647

I still think Ryan Hardy is on track to become the Leafs GM when it comes time to make the HOHO more presidential level and delineate between business management and operations management

 

[herman]

I forgot about Hayley, leadership wanted to go in a different direction, wonder what that means

It's the nice way of saying you've been fired.

As for why Leach still ran the draft and Dr. Wickenheiser's team still ran the development camp: logistical timing. It would've hurt the organization and their prospects way more to flush them prior to the big events they were both preparing and overseeing. New Amateur Scouting group and Development team have a full season of runway to build and prepare under new guidance.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2072084478634115459

Just remembered this. Those within the Florida organization always seemed to give McCabe a lot of credit for his work there. I wondered if Sundin would be looking to bring him aboard, but at the time it seemed like his role would overlap a little with Wickenheiser's. Now there's an opening...