Maple Leafs rumors: John Chayka to meet with Auston Matthews, Craig Berube

The Toronto Maple Leafs are clearly a team in transition. After a brutal regular-season performance that saw them record one of the five worst records in the NHL, the Maple Leafs got a major break when they won the league’s Draft Lottery. As a result, the Leafs will have the first pick in the upcoming draft.

The Maple Leafs fired general manager Brad Treliving during their painful regular season and they made a shocking hire by bringing in John Chayka to take over that position. Chayka had been out of the league after getting suspended by Gary Bettman for detrimental conduct and ultimately dismissed by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021.

The hiring was quite controversial, and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun has reported that Chayka is planning to spend time with superstar Auston Matthews to gain his feeling on whether he wants to remain with the Maple Leafs in the future. Matthew has two years remaining on his contract, and the belief is that he wants to know more about the direction Chayka will direct the team in the near future before he decides if he wants to stay with the Leafs.

Additionally, Chayka is planning to have a conversation with current head coach Craig Berube. That conversation could be the determining factor on Berube’s future with the team. There are a number of coaching candidates who could be on Chayka’s list if he wants a new coach — including former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy — but Chayka wants to speak with Berube before he makes a move.

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