John Chayka isn't done. According to Elliotte Friedman's 32 Thoughts this week, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM is sitting on one or two additional moves that could fundamentally change his roster.
That's a significant signal heading into what has already been a busy offseason in Toronto.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Maple Leafs: I think John Chayka is sitting on one or two other moves that he could do to really change his team
The Leafs finished 32-36-14 this season, 28th overall in the NHL with 78 points.
They allowed 299 goals against. That's not a team that needs a tweak. That's a team that needs rewiring.
The seven-game losing streak to close the season tells you everything about where this group was mentally and structurally by April.
Auston Matthews played 60 games and finished with 53 points at a $13.25 million cap hit. That number alone tells you the margin for error in this rebuild is almost zero.
William Nylander put up 79 points in 65 games, the one bright spot on a roster that otherwise drained goals against like a broken pipe.
Chayka's next move could define the Leafs' trajectory for years
Mitch Marner is already gone, now carrying a $12 million cap number in Vegas.
So what's left? Chayka is presumably looking at the defense, where the Leafs were a disaster, or targeting a move that redefines the identity of the top six entirely.
Darren Raddysh posted 70 points on a $975,000 cap hit this season. Keeping him long-term while shedding expensive contracts elsewhere is the kind of roster math that could fund a significant external acquisition.
Toronto's total committed cap is north of $95 million on the books right now. Finding space for a meaningful trade target is the real puzzle.
It's like trying to renovate a house while someone's still living in it. Every wall you want to knock down is load-bearing.
Friedman didn't name targets. He rarely does until the deal is done. But the framing, one or two moves that could really change this team, suggests Chayka is thinking bigger than a depth signing.
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The Leafs haven't set a firm direction since the Marner departure. These next moves will answer the question Leafs fans have been asking all spring: is this a real rebuild, or just window dressing?
Do you trust John Chayka to finally turn the Maple Leafs into a legitimate contender?
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