The Toronto Maple Leafs are a whimper away from the end of their massively disappointing 2025-26 NHL regular season. A season marred with injuries and no answers to any burning questions is leaving fans with more than a bitter taste in their mouths. To add insult to injury is a new update on Nick Robertson, Troy Stecher, and Luke Schenn.
The Athletic has shared a new report filled with a plethora of information, in a tell-all tale of the stunningly terrible season the Maple Leafs will conclude on Wednesday night. This report includes a lot of information regarding failed trades, or trades that were contemplated but never came to fruition.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs Failed to Trade Nick Robertson
The first of the failed trades involved Nick Robertson. In a massive tell-all report from Chris Johnston, Jonas Siegel, and James Mirtle, the Maple Leafs came close to trading Robertson to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“At one point, the Leafs discussed a Nick Robertson for Egor Chinakhov swap with the Columbus Blue Jackets,” The Athletic reports. “But their offers fell short. They dangled a second-round pick around the league, looking for short-term help. According to league sources, the Leafs were consistently in on the final stages of trade talks like those for Chinakhov, but were never able to close deals that might have helped stem the bleeding.”
“The skilled forward was eventually dealt to Pittsburgh in late December for second- and third-round picks and produced 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games as a Penguin on their top line.”
The Maple Leafs missed out on adding that kind of talent to their own top line. Instead, they juggled their lines until they were blue in the face, all with nothing to show for it.
In 77 games, Robertson has 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points, all of which are career highs for the forward. He averaged 12:39 of time on ice, which is also a career high.
On the other hand, Egor Chinakhov finished the year with 21 goals, 21 assists, and 42 points in 72 games. Chinakhov averaged 13:29 in ice time this season, 15:37 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
2. Luke Schenn Reunion?
The Athletic piece also revealed that the Maple Leafs had interest in bringing back Luke Schenn.
“They also contemplated re-acquiring Luke Schenn,” the outlet reports. “However, save for a waiver claim on Troy Stecher in November, the Leafs GM made no moves to rescue his flailing squad.”
To pile on to this, The Athletic also reports that the Maple Leafs weren’t the easiest team to do business with this season.
“Executives with other teams said they found Toronto frustrating to deal with, as their trade calls often felt like tire-kicking rather than serious discussions,” the outlet also reported.
Bringing in a staunch defender like Schenn could have benefited the Maple Leafs. This is true for their on-ice performance and in the locker room. The Schenn brothers are often cited as players having great character, and that kind of leadership could have been useful for the team during this turbulent season.
However, with this season practically in the books, it’s all about looking forward for the Maple Leafs. From the sounds of things, it’s a good thing too. Either way, the next GM of the organization has their work cut out for them.
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