Earlier this summer, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson requested a trade out of Ontario. This is far from the first time Robertson’s name has popped up in trade discussions. In fact, the Maple Leafs reportedly considered trading him during the 2023-24 season as they pushed for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, this is the first time Robertson himself requested the move. He remains on Toronto’s roster as of this writing. In saying this, the current restricted free agent is not budging on his desire to exit the Maple Leafs this offseason. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun provided more insight on this when speaking on TSN 1050’s OverDrive.
“He still would prefer a change of address,” said LeBrun, via TSN. “But that has been slow going on that. Got a pretty powerful agent in Pat Brisson, but checking with a couple different people involved today, he’s training back home and waiting for a resolution. But the process certainly hasn’t moved along as fast as I think his camp would like so we’ll see where that goes.”
Nick Robertson seeking fresh start outside of Maple Leafs
Nick Robertson is a former second-round pick of the Maple Leafs from the 2019 NHL Draft. Robertson has struggled with injuries early in his career. But the potential he flashed made Toronto believe he could eventually produce at the NHL level should he be healthy. In 2023-24, we saw our first glimpses of this.
Robertson played a career-high 56 games for Toronto in 2023-24. During this time, he scored 14 goals and 27 goals to aid in the Maple Leafs’ playoff push. He did skate in six games during the team’s first-round playoff series with the Boston Bruins. However, he failed to record a point in those games.
This summer, the Maple Leafs did not add any notable starting forwards in NHL Free Agency. As a result, it’s likely that Robertson would have a spot in the lineup should he sign a contract before the season. He could slot in on the team’s third line alongside John Tavares, for instance.
In any event, a change of scenery could be beneficial for both sides. Robertson would have the chance to find his game with a team that could afford him more opportunities. And the Maple Leafs could be afforded a few different options in terms of constructing their lineups. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where Robertson plays hockey for the 2024-25 campaign.
