The Maple Leafs might have their eyes on a promising young talent who’s ready for a fresh start.
Yegor Chinakhov has officially asked the Columbus Blue Jackets to trade him, and Toronto’s already being mentioned as a perfect landing spot.
It took about five minutes for hockey insiders to connect these dots. And it makes a lot of sense.
The 22-year-old Russian winger could be exactly what the Leafs need right now – especially after losing Mitch Marner’s scoring touch. Toronto’s been trying to replace Marner’s production with a group effort, and Chinakhov might be a big piece of that puzzle.
Here’s what makes him interesting: he’s got serious skill, he’s young, and his contract won’t break the bank at just $2.1 million.
The Leafs might actually have the perfect trade chip to make this work – Nick Robertson. He’s the kind of young talent that could get Columbus to pick up the phone.
For Toronto, this could be a smart gamble. They need more firepower behind their star players, and Chinakhov’s the kind of player who could really break out in the right situation.
The kid’s got potential. And in Toronto’s high-powered offense? That could be pretty exciting to watch.
