According to Josh Wegman of TheScore.ca, Coyotes ownership reportedly insists that Chayka’s breach of contract doesn’t allow him to serve as GM or president of hockey operations for any NHL team until his deal is over in 2023.
What this means if the Devils were to hire John Chayka would be he could serve in any role like in analytics or any other front office job under Harris and Blitzer. Having summarized what Greg Wyshynski of ESPN found out on the John Chayka matter, it appears that the New Jersey Devils are trying to acquire the executive’s services. After reading what Wegman wrote about Chayka’s contract, by the end of 2024 will be the right time for Chayka to serve as the Devils president of hockey operations.
With Tom Fitzgerald as the general manager and likely having Dan MacKinnon stay on in the AGM role for the next three seasons, Chayka could succeed in New Jersey, bringing a young hockey mind, plus a different perspective, collaborating with Tyler Dellow and the hockey analytics department. The Devils scouting staff has gotten a lot better and I can see the team development staff being amended.
If there’s one thing Fitzgerald could do now with Chayka, it’s getting both of them possibly to hire the right hockey player development staff. Hockey is a blend of analytics and the eye test in scouting reports. If MacKinnon were to move onto another role elsewhere, having Chayka around would be a great new external addition. It appears Joshua Harris, the Devils majority owner, seemed very intrigued in hiring Mr. Chayka.
Joshua Harris, meanwhile, is trying to up the New Jersey Devils branding by attempting to acquire SNY, a major TV channel in the Tri-State Area. He is also in the running to buy Major League Baseball’s New York Mets. The Devils, in a few years, look like they will move on from MSG Networks which also hold rights to the New York Rangers and New York Islanders which never benefits the Devils brand. But if Chayka is with the Devils and the team begins to hit their strides forward, this hire would be very beneficial on a long-term basis to New Jersey moving forward.