Maple Leafs Were Outbid by Former GM in Pursuit of Dynamic Forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2025–26 season was a mess from just about start to finish, and that left many wondering throughout the year why no changes were made earlier to try and spark a turnaround.

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After acquiring Dakota Joshua in mid-July, Brad Treliving didn’t make another deal until March 5—the day before the trade deadline—shipping Nicolas Roy to Colorado. While that lack of activity certainly frustrated the fan base, and possibly even the players, we’re starting to learn that it wasn’t necessarily for a lack of trying.

According to a recent article from The Athletic, the Maple Leafs had interest in Egor Chinakhov, which included offering Nick Robertson as part of a return package. Their pursuit of the promising young winger, however, ultimately fell short, as former GM Kyle Dubas swooped in and brought him to Pittsburgh.

“At one point, the Leafs discussed a Nick Robertson for Egor Chinakhov swap with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but their offers fell short. According to league sources, the Leafs were consistently in on the final stages of trade talks like those for Chinakhov, but were never able to close deals that might have helped stem the bleeding,”

The 25-year-old Chinakhov exploded upon his arrival to the Steel City, racking up 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 43 games after the trade.

Seeing the former first-round pick (21st overall, 2020) pop the way he has with the Penguins adds even more salt to the wound for Toronto, though it’s unknown whether the fit would have been as seamless given the struggles the Maple Leafs were going through at the time.

It does, however, demonstrate how much Toronto has been hurt in recent years by a lack of assets (draft picks, prospects), much of it self-inflicted. This year’s deadline was a step in the right direction, but there is still plenty of work to be done to restock the cupboard and get this team back into contention sooner rather than later, whether that be via retool or rebuild.

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