Elliotte Friedman leaks details of failed Nick Robertson-Blue Jackets trade

Nick Robertson started the season in the bottom six, with very few chances to showcase whether or not he is truly a talented hockey player.

The forward had been begging for a shot in the top six, and he was willing to demand a trade if that opportunity never came.

In fact, there were reports that the Leafs were actively trying to trade Robertson throughout the summer and that they kept up that pursuit during the first weeks of the season.

Since then, Robertson has found himself on the first line, and he has been producing at a point-per-game pace. He now has 11 points on the season, and he is finally scoring goals at a reasonable clip.

As a result, insiders like Elliotte Friedman believe a Robertson trade is no longer on the table. The forward has proven himself as someone the Leafs want to keep for a while.

In that same report, Friedman revealed that the Maple Leafs tried to trade Robertson to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Yegor Chinakhov.

Chinakhov wants out of Columbus, and the young talent was seen as someone the Maple Leafs would love to have. In the end, the Blue Jackets promptly denied this trade.

At the end of the day, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team in need of bodies, but you don't want to get rid of guys like Robertson in the interim. As of right now, he is simply too important to the success of the franchise.