As we near the third week since NHL free agency opened on July 1, the Toronto Maple Leafs still have a clear need to upgrade their forward group. This can be done in a variety of ways, but one major way is by adding a top-nine winger who can produce for the club. Thankfully, one target just became publicly available.
It was announced on X — formerly the platform twitter — on Thursday by Russian NHL agent Shumi Babaev that one of his clients, Yegor Chinakhov requested a trade out of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. He posted the following quote:
" “I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here.""Yegor Chinakhov via Shumi Babaev on X
It is very rare for a player agent to so bluntly quote his own player’s desire to play elsewhere. However, sometimes agents, especially those representing Restricted Free Agents, must get creative in using leverage to try and force their team to heeding their demands.
Chinakhov, 24, has been a fascinating player since he was first drafted. Former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen shocked the hockey world when he called the relatively unknown Yegor Chinakhov’s name in the first round, 21st overall at the 2020 NHL Draft.
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs pursue Yegor Chinakhov?
After his draft year, the unknown Russian forward has continued to show real promise. He helped his KHL team, Avangard Omsk capture the 2021 Gagarin cup and then made the NHL the following season. Since coming over to North America, Chinakhov has struggled to fully plant his feet. Between short-term demotions, healthy scratches, injury problems, and inconsistent production, the cards have been stacked against the winger.
Despite these struggles, he has shown general improvements in his pace of production over his four year career so far. Going from 0.23 points per game in 62 games his rookie season to 0.55 and 0.5 points per game in 53 games last season and in 30 games this season, respectively (NHL.com). Despite the slight dip this year, before his back injury sidelined him for 39 games, Chinakhov was on pace for a career year. Through the first 21 games he played this year, he had scored 14 points or a pace of 0.67 points per game. It is still a relatively small sample size but shows positive signs for a potential team looking to acquire him.
So far in his career, Chinakhov has mainly played third line or middle-six minutes with the Blue Jackets and has shown well. He has put up positive defensive results and has shown a willingness to engage physically, especially this year where he logged 47 hits in 30 games. Looking at the Maple Leafs possible interest, There are many things that hurt Chinakhov’s trade value: His public trade request, the healthy scratches, the history of injuries, the dip in production etc.
It is hard to nail down a legitimate price tag for a player in this scenario but if the Leafs could send disgruntled and oft-rumored Nick Robertson the other way, there could be a good fit. Robertson is clearly not properly valued in Toronto and Chinakhov would likely be seen as an improvement with his size. For Columbus, Robertson is slightly younger and has shown he can produce well at the NHL level. He could replace Chinakhov’s goal scoring and production and may even be able to provide excess value to the club if used properly.
Depending on the price, the Leafs should be interested in acquiring Chinakhov. He is entering the final year of a two year deal carrying a $2.1 million AAV, and he will be an RFA still upon expiry. He also has shown he can play middle-six minutes well and if given the chance to play with stars like Auston Matthews, Mattew Knies, William Nylander, and John Tavares, he could really thrive.