October will see Brad Treliving's gift to the Leafs and John Chayka pay off
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 13, 2026 (9:26)
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Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
John Chayka is already scouring the trade market for defensemen, and that single development changes everything about Ben Danford's October timeline.
Insider Nick Alberga posted Friday that Danford may be a Leaf by October, framing it as the parting gift Brad Treliving left behind.
That might be true. But it is no longer Treliving's call.
Chayka was officially hired as Toronto's general manager on May 3, 2026, bringing an entirely new set of priorities to Scotiabank Arena.
According to insider David Pagnotta, Chayka is already exploring the market for a middle-six center, a top-six winger, and multiple defensemen.
That last word matters more than anything else in that report.
Where Danford fits in Chayka's blueprint
Danford, selected 31st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, is a right-handed shutdown defender whose rights traveled through Edmonton and Anaheim before Treliving landed him in Toronto.
He spent 2025-26 with the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League and signed a three-year entry-level contract in 2024.
The prospect profile is legitimate, and his 2025-26 season showed clear progress.
But if Chayka lands two NHL-ready defensemen this summer, Danford's path to opening night gets significantly narrower.
A data-centric GM does not rush a 20-year-old through the system to fill a hole he is already solving via trade.
That is what the Toronto Marlies are for.
The mess Chayka actually inherited
Toronto finished 28th overall with 78 points, posted a -46 goal differential, and allowed 299 goals against.
Auston Matthews carries a $13.25 million cap hit on a roster that won 32 games.
William Nylander produced 79 points in 65 games and it still wasn't nearly enough.
No prospect arrival fixes a structural breakdown that deep.
Danford may well be a Maple Leaf in October - but whether that actually happens is now entirely Chayka's decision to make.
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