NHL News: One-for-one trade offer simply won’t cut it for Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs in pursuit of half-hearted talent, reports state

Hoping to land a key addition to their roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs are leaving no stone unturned this NHL offseason. However, Auston Matthews and company might have to part with more than just one teammate to finalize a deal for a raw talent seeking a fresh start.

Yegor Chinakhov may have requested a trade out of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the organization in Ohio won’t just give him away. Any NHL franchise interested in the young talent will have to submit an offer worth Columbus’ while.

The Maple Leafs have emerged as a potential landing spot for the disgruntled Russian forward in Discovery City. However, acquiring Chinakhov won’t be easy, and Columbus won’t let it be, either. It may take more from Matthews’ Buds than a simple one-for-one deal involving recently re-signed youngster Nicholas Robertson. Or so an insider believes.

“One Columbus fan asked me if Chinakhov for Robertson made sense. I don’t know, I think Toronto would have to do more to get that done,” Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Won’t be idle for long

English rock band, Oasis, might have sung about ‘The Importance of Being Idle‘, but Toronto is seemingly giving that statement a twist for its own benefit. As Friedman suggested, the Maple Leafs aren’t done building their 2025-26 roster.

Right now, it seems Toronto must part ways with pieces, rather than bring in new ones. Perhaps acting dormant, the Buds haven’t sold their act to the rest of the NHL, and moves are to be expected in Hogtown.

“I definitely think the Maple Leafs have work to do here,” Friedman added. “I don’t know what their timeline is, but nobody expects them not to do things before puck drops, that’s for sure…We know with Toronto, the Leafs are trying to move money around.”

Sign-and-trade—sound familiar?

The Maple Leafs finally put pen to paper on an extension for Robertson. The 23-year-old was the last remaining RFA to file for salary arbitration and not re-sign. Now, the two parties have settle—but drama clearly hasn’t.

Indeed, the former second-round pick has agreed to terms with the Buds—but that doesn’t mean he’ll be joining Matthews and company come October. As things stand, his place in the lineup is far from guaranteed.

Robertson craves job security and a steady role in an NHL lineup, but that’s something Toronto can’t offer right now. A trade might be in everyone’s best interest. Where to? Many destinations are in the mix, but the Pittsburgh Penguins could be casting a hopeful eye his way.

“A couple of people asked me about the possibility of Robertson in Pittsburgh. Just because, obviously, Kyle Dubas knows him,” Friedman concluded. “The Leafs got the arbitration settled on a one-year, $1.825 deal. The Leafs need to clear some bodies there, they’ve got a lot of them.”