Maple Leafs could replace Mitch Marner with 24-year old rising star after trade request

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already brought in a handful of players this offseason that they'll hope, in the aggregate, can make up for the loss of Mitch Marner to Vegas.

But there's another guy out there who could help soften the blow even more.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakov recently requested a trade. The 24-year old Russian wants a new team, and if the Maple Leafs threw their hat into the ring, they'd be a good fit.

Chinakov has played in parts of four NHL seasons. He has had his best point pacing in the last two, with 29 points in 53 games in 2023-24 and then 15 points in 30 games in 2024-25.

He's not necessarily a top-line winger, but he'd get on the ice for solid usage every game in Toronto.

"A Chinakov trade would mean far more than just bringing a talented, young, cost-controlled offensive winger to Toronto," writes Maple Leafs analyst Ryan Ma. "It could point to a front office finally ready to enter the new age of player assessment and once again assert itself as one of the trailblazers and innovators of the modern NHL."

MORE: Maple Leafs have completed their $10.5 million Mitch Marner replacement plan

Acquiring Chinakov could come down mainly to price. Does Columbus want another young, talented player in return, or are they just happy to get out from under him at this point?

The Maple Leafs would have to consider the return cost, of course, but Chinakov could be an exciting pickup if things aligned for Toronto.

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