Why Leafs GM John Chayka wants to maximize draft capital

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John Chayka has settled on keeping the coveted Gavin McKenna ticket, but the Maple Leafs still have six more picks to make this weekend.

It will be an early test of how well the new general manager’s vision jives with the scouts he inherited and to what extent greenhorn senior executive Mats Sundin will be involved.

The Leafs already have been approached about acquiring a second high pick. Right now they own first overall, plus six others, including three between 60th and 85th overall.

The inevitable trade chatter, in a week where many big deals have happened — while the increased salary cap could encourage more — won’t cease and desist until the Leafs finally announce McKenna’s name and commissioner Gary Bettman doesn’t say “we have a trade to announce” later in the order.

“Any time you make a big decision, it’s a thorough process,” Chayka said Thursday in pre-draft comments to the media. “But as I sit here today, it’s likely we take the pick.

“It’s rare those top picks are moved. We’ve had discussions on every pick in the top 10 — outside of (first). If you can get two top-10 picks, that’s a compelling option, but there’s a cost to that.”

Reading between the lines of Chayka’s comments on power forward Matthew Knies, it would take a hell of a deal for the Leafs to move him for draft capital or anything else.

A few weeks into his job, Chayka is preparing for his first NHL draft since he ran the Arizona Coyotes in 2019.

“The draft is your point in time where you can really put a stamp on your team and say ‘this is what a Toronto Maple Leaf is,'” he said.

“With Judd Brackett (Chayka’s new assistant GM of player evaluation) and Mark Leach (Brad Treliving’s holdover director of amateur scouting), we have a lot of horse power.

“(The whole staff) have been around, there’s a lot of success within the group. We’re trying to give them some feedback and this is where Mats comes in — what are the things we value, what are the types of people we want to bring into the organization?”

The 5-foot-11 McKenna is a scoring winger, but will have to fill out his body a bit. Chayka was asked if he’ll go industrial heavy in the ensuing rounds on Saturday. The Leafs also have a fourth rounder, two fifths and a sixth.

“Teams that have won have historically been big and strong, that can get through the grind of a seven-game playoff series. Having said that, (current Cup champion) Carolina, have a lot of really good, smaller-stature players that bring smarts and competitiveness.

“We’re trying to consider all these variables, not put one above the rest, other than we want smart, competitive players and stack that, round after round, to end up in a pretty good spot.”

Jim Hiller couldn’t ask for a better welcoming present as coach than first overall, via the draft lottery. He was assistant under Mike Babcock here when Auston Matthews arrived in similar circumstances, winning the Calder Trophy and eventually the Rocket Richard, Hart and Ted Lindsay.

McKenna, if chosen, will have a degree of pressure on him to shine.

“I’ll lean on Auston a bit, we’ve talked about that already,” Hiller said. “He’s going to be a special player. It’s a unique position to be No. 1 overall in the Toronto market so we have a good guy with good experience there.”