Maple Leafs offered Nick Robertson to Blue Jackets for young forward, but Columbus said no
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Elliotte Friedman recently reported that Toronto offered Nick Robertson to Columbus for Yegor Chinakhov, but the Blue Jackets declined the deal.
There were discussions earlier this offseason that perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs would trade Nick Robertson for Columbus' Yegor Chinakhov, as both men were looking for fresh starts and would give both teams a new look.
It was merely a reported trade offer, and nothing was concrete however Elliotte Friedman has confirmed that was the situation.
How close the Leafs actually came to trading Nick Robertson
Speaking on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman noted that the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets indeed were discussing a Chinakhov/Robertson swap:
They offered him to Columbus for Chinakhov, Columbus said no.
Robertson has 11 points in 19 games for Toronto, is currently on a 20-goal pace for the first time in his career and has been a bright spot so far for the team amidst a struggling season.
He had been subject to various trade speculation over the past few months and with questions about his fit in the lineup, he could have been on the outside looking in.
But injuries led to him to being shoved in the top-six and he has since ran with it.
Chinakhov, meanwhile, has four points in 14 games and, after a brief early spark, has gone pointless in his last eight. He's still trying to find his footing in Columbus' lineup.
Why Elliotte Friedman thinks the window to trade him has already passed
Friedman also chimed in with his own opinion and believes that the ship has sailed for the Maple Leafs to trade Robertson:
I dunno, I kinda think that the time to deal him...has passed.
Given the current state of the team and how Robertson has played, Friedman's opinion that the ship has sailed makes some sense.
Toronto is not going to trade away a player who is currently helping them for a player who has struggled to find his footing, and in doing so ruin any chemistry the team has built.
The fans and media have seemed to have their opinions on Robertson swayed this season and are finally seeing what he's capable of, and to his credit is working his tail off to keep his spot.
With Robertson finally producing and earning trust in Toronto, and with this report now public, it's fair to wonder if the Leafs quietly dodged a mistake by keeping him rather than forcing a one-for-one swap.
