Trending or Ending?: Maple Leafs Have Blockbuster Move Coming

John Chayka has barely been on the job in Toronto for four months, and the Toronto Maple Leafs already look like a different roster. The question now isn’t whether he’s been busy — it’s whether the biggest move is still coming, or whether Toronto has already made its real splash for the summer.

In my latest Trending or Ending series, I’m going to take a look at the rumors that Chayka wants to make one more blockbuster move for the Maple Leafs and whether we should believe that move is actually coming.

The Case for “Trending”: Maple Leafs Blockbuster Coming

Chayka’s early track record speaks for itself. Since taking over in May, the new general manager has dealt Joseph Woll, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson, and Dennis Hildeby, while letting Matias Maccelli and Calle Jarnkrok walk in free agency. He picked up Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, Colton Scissions, Emil Andrae, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, and drafted Gavin McKenna.

He is actively reshaping the roster on multiple fronts at once, and reporting suggests he isn’t finished. Multiple outlets have named Morgan Rielly, Dakota Joshua, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson as names still very much in play, with Rielly being the big name that could go, even though Chayka has hinted the defenseman is staying put.

People around the league describe Chayka as someone who “loves making deals,” and despite not being in the league for some time, it’s clear he is not a GM content to sit on his hands once a roster is close to where he wants it. With training camp opening in September, insiders continue to frame at least one more significant move as the expectation, not a possibility.

The Maple Leafs were linked to Zach Werenski when he suddenly became available (at least for a moment) out of Columbus. Others have wondered if they’d like Dylan Larkin (even though they aren’t on his preferred list).

There’s too much smoke around this team not to wonder if there’s something actually cooking.

The Case for “Ending”: The Maple Leafs Are Done

The counterpoint is that the “blockbuster” everyone is talking about might already have happened. The Woll deal with Philadelphia was a genuinely big trade. The Raddysh acquisition was a massive swing. Drafting McKenna could be a game-changer. Signing Bobrovsky is a gamble that could pay off huge or turn into a disaster decision.

Now that Chayka has indicated Rielly isn’t being moved, and trade talks have cooled significantly, it appears the big piece Toronto would trade is off the market. And now that Werenski talk has “fizzled” in Columbus, which huge fish is there for the Leafs to go after?

There’s also something to be said for keeping flexibility for later. The Leafs don’t have to make another big move this summer when they can make a move in-season. If Chayka wants flexibility, now might not be the time to take another significant swing. One final mega-trade sounds like fun, but it removes the odds that the Leafs will be in on a player who inevitably becomes available down the line that isn’t available now.

So, Trending or Ending?

This one leans toward ending, mostly because of what’s been said and what’s available.

Rielly wanted to go to the Western Conference. The San Jose Sharks no longer need him and the Anaheim Ducks have other business to attend to since the Leo Carlsson offer sheet.

The “blockbuster” Werenski trade is off the table for now. That discussion may not be over permanently, but he’s pivoted back to saying he wants to stay with the Blue Jackets, and any discussion about his willingness to join Toronto is moot.

Chayka and the Maple Leafs will keep their eyes peeled, but it doesn’t feel like a blockbuster is imminent.