Los Angeles Kings' Executive Linked To Toronto Maple Leafs After John Chayka Hiring

Regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and the hire of John Chayka to be the franchise's new GM, there have been plenty of scrutiny and rumblings that have come with it. One report that has come out in the aftermath of the Leafs introducing Chayka and Mats Sundin as the new leaders in the hockey operations department is that Los Angeles Kings senior director of hockey operations, Jake Goldberg, has been linked to Toronto. Frank Seravalli reported that there has been speculation about Goldberg joining Chayka's staff with the Maple Leafs.

They share a history from their days with the Arizona Coyotes . Chayka was the GM and president of hockey operations of the Coyotes from 2016-17 to 2019-20. As for Goldberg, he was the director of hockey operations in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and in his final year with the franchise, in 2019-20, he was an assistant GM working closely with Chayka.

Amid the links and speculation between the two NHL executives, there have also been reports about potential tampering . "At least one team raised a tampering concern with the NHL as incoming Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka began to fill out his staff," Seravalli reported. John Chayka’s Tenure As Maple Leafs GM Starts With Tampering Allegation That Was Eventually Dismissed Just as the ink dried on his new contract in Toronto, John Chayka found himself navigating a familiar storm of league-office scrutiny and tampering allegations.

It's unclear who that team might be, but speculation about Goldberg potentially reuniting with Chayka has been highlighted. Ultimately, the NHL reportedly investigated the tampering claims but ruled the situation to be unsubstantiated. Toronto native and 36-year-old Goldberg has spent the past five seasons with the Kings as the senior director of hockey operations.