John Chayka has been running the Toronto Maple Leafs for barely four months, and this roster already looks nothing like it did in April.
The real question now isn't whether Chayka's been busy. It's whether the true blockbuster is still coming, or whether Toronto already made its big swing for the summer.
His track record so far says plenty. Chayka has moved out Joseph Woll, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson, and Dennis Hildeby since taking over in May.
He also let Matias Maccelli and Calle Jarnkrok walk in free agency, while bringing in Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, Colton Sissons, Emil Andrae, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, and Brandon Duhaime.
Add the first overall pick of Gavin McKenna, and this front office has touched almost every corner of the roster in one offseason.
Multiple outlets still have Morgan Rielly, Dakota Joshua, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson floated as names who could move, with Rielly carrying the most weight if he actually goes.
Rielly posted 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 78 games last season, a respectable year, though Chayka has publicly hinted he's staying put regardless of the rumors attached to him.
Why the Werenski and Rielly rumors have gone quiet
People around the league describe Chayka as someone who genuinely loves making deals, not the type of GM who sits still once a roster is close to finished.
That reputation is exactly why Toronto got connected to Zach Werenski when Columbus briefly floated him, and why Dylan Larkin's name kept getting attached here too, despite Toronto never actually appearing on his preferred list.
But the case for this being over has real weight behind it too. The Woll trade with Philadelphia was already a genuine blockbuster on its own.
Adding Raddysh was a massive swing, drafting McKenna could reshape this franchise for a decade, and signing Bobrovsky is either a coup or a disaster waiting to happen.
Chayka has since indicated Rielly isn't actually being moved, and those trade conversations have cooled off considerably.
The Werenski talk has reportedly fizzled entirely too, with the Columbus defenseman pivoting back to wanting to stay put.
That leaves a real question. If Rielly stays and Werenski is off the board, which star is even left for Toronto to chase right now?
There's also a case for patience here. Toronto doesn't have to spend its remaining trade capital in July when an in-season opportunity could present a better target down the road.
Rielly reportedly wanted a move to the Western Conference, but San Jose no longer needs him, and Anaheim has its hands full after matching Philadelphia's Leo Carlsson offer sheet.
This one genuinely leans toward ending. The pieces that would have made a real blockbuster work have mostly closed themselves off in the last few weeks.
Chayka will keep watching the market closely, but nothing here suggests a mega trade is actually imminent before camp opens.
Should the Maple Leafs make one more blockbuster trade before training camp?
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