TORONTO — The Maple Leafs introduced their new front office of GM John Chayka and senior executive adviser Mats Sundin in a Monday afternoon news conference.

And well, it was interesting.

Here were some of the major takeaways:

Chayka sidesteps questions about past

Chayka declined to directly address the circumstances that led to his suspension from the NHL for the calendar year in 2021 or the Coyotes forfeiting a first- and second-round draft pick for violating the combine-testing policy, two missteps that have been prominent in criticism of the Leafs hire.

Chayka has not worked in the NHL since leaving Arizona.

“I made decisions I’m proud of, and I’ve also made mistakes that I’ve learned from,” Chayka said in his initial remarks. “I’m human. I own all of it, and I’m better because of it.”

When later asked about his suspension and the team being penalized for unauthorized testing of draft-eligible prospects, Chayka pointed to the instability around the franchise at the time. The Coyotes ended up relocating to Utah four years after Chayka left.

“Arizona was a really complicated situation, and it was the biggest challenge I ever took on in my life,” Chayka said. “It was honestly the hardest thing I ever did and also in a lot of ways the most rewarding. I took it on at a very young age, met a lot of great people. We’re really proud, that group, of keeping the Coyotes in Arizona in my tenure …

“As I move forward, it really teaches me the value of stability. To no one’s fault, there was just a lot of work being done to find a new arena, find new ownership, et cetera, and as those things happen, there’s a lot that gets missed. And so, the value of stability, the value of alignment, are two key tenets that I take from that.”

After Chayka resigned from the Coyotes in July 2020, both he and the organization were hit with sanctions by the NHL: Arizona forfeited a first- and second-round draft pick for illegally testing draft prospects during his tenure, and Chayka was forbidden from taking a job in the NHL in 2021 for “conduct detrimental to the league” after he was found to have spoken with the New Jersey Devils about a job while still under contract to the Coyotes.

Asked about whether the NHL sanctions raised red flags, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Keith Pelley responded: “I’ve already said I did deep due diligence. So I’ve read all of the reports, I’ve talked to numerous people — I won’t reveal who I’ve talked to — that were close to the process. We’ve done extensive due diligence, and I’m very comfortable and very confident in where we landed.”

Chayka went five years and 10 months between NHL jobs.

Pelley said he had “no concern” about the gap in Chayka’s NHL resume or his knowledge of the league and was sold by his vision.

Pelley again referred to due diligence in deflecting a now-viral question by Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons about Chayka’s credentials and character.

The new structure 

Pelley provided few details on many questions, including why the team didn’t put someone in a president’s role atop the organization. Chayka will be the one reporting directly to Pelley, with Sundin serving in an advisory role.

“It’s a different structure, but I think it’ll be a winning structure,” Pelley said. “I think we’re in for a real treat.”

Pelley said that in the interview process neither Chayka nor Sundin raised any questions about titles. “They only talked about goals,” he said, “and that’s winning the Stanley Cup.”

Berube’s future

Asked if he was open to bringing Craig Berube back as coach next season, Chayka replied: “Yes, of course.”

“It’s hard to find great coaches,” Chayka went on. “He’s a great coach.”

The new Leafs GM said he had a brief conversation with Berube on Sunday evening and planned to meet with him, alongside Sundin, later in the week.

Berube has two years remaining on his contract.

Asked how he, with a background in data, could justify possibly keeping Berube given the numbers the Leafs had in a number of categories last season under his watch, Chayka said, “I think that data is one part of the puzzle. You need to look at what a coach is given. You need to look at what he’s good with. And I think you gotta take an entire holistic view of things.”

In his early assessment of the roster, Chayka said the Leafs needed to improve their blue line this summer.

The Auston Matthews question

Chayka plans to meet with team captain Auston Matthews in the next couple of weeks to lay out a vision with “concrete steps” on how the new front office intends to turn things around.

“It is our job to sell him on what we’re capable of in reaching the ultimate goal, because I know that that’s what’s most important to him,” Chayka said. “I think he deserves some answers about where we’re at and where we’re headed and give him the forum to provide feedback and ask questions and then take it from there.”

While acknowledging that there is a “gap right now between where we are and where we’d like to be,” Chayka said that he was hopeful the team could turn things around in relatively short order with a “high hit rate” and creativity this offseason.

“We certainly feel like we’re well-positioned with a core group,” he said. “We have some players that are some of the best players in the world that wear this sweater, and it’s on Mats and myself to put in place the structure and the principles and give them the resources to go out and accomplish our goals.”

Chayka noted that improving the team’s defensive play is a top priority and will require a “change in the mix or change in the strategy.”