Jason Robertson becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027, which gives the Maple Leafs a path to acquiring him while still holding onto Matthew Knies.
This NHL offseason had its fair share of storylines but one that dominated headlines was the prospective future of Jason Robertson. A restricted free agent, he was looking to make bank on his next contract and Dallas was hesitant to afford it though Robertson eventually signed a one-year, $12-million deal.
That put an end to the saga for now as it feels like the Stars and Robertson are going to circle back to negotiations later in the year and didn't want things to become a distraction.
But if the team is unable to sign him past this season, he would no longer be restricted and now enter free agency. If that's the case, the 2027 class just added a potential superstar two-way winger to its list, and teams will be fighting over each other to get a chance to sign him.
A Robertson free agency class leaves Toronto a path to acquire him without losing Matthew Knies
The Toronto Maple Leafs are no doubt a team who will have vested interest in Robertson should he become available, and after there was some speculation that the team could trade Matthew Knies to the Stars as part of a Robertson package - it's an expensive yet understandable pursuit.
Robertson, 27, put up 96 points last season (46 goals) and cemented himself as one of the best two-way forwards in the entire league. On top of his offence he added a plus-22, a 58.6% CF rating, and had a blistering xGF percentage of 67% and is now just getting into his prime years.
If Toronto wanted him, he would be a very expensive option that could easily be reaching $14-15M per season, but it would allow them to sign him without giving up Knies, nor a package that involves prospects like Easton Cowan or Ben Danford.
The issue is that Toronto won't necessarily have a lot of room as they currently have a projected $6.7M in cap space for 2027-28, so they would need to make the necessary financial moves first.
That very well could involve moving off Morgan Rielly (if he waives his NMC), Dakota Joshua, and Max Domi. Toronto has no free agents in 2027, everyone is locked up - a trade isn't just necessary - it's the only way to get it done.
January 1 is the date that Toronto has circled on their calendar
But they aren't going to need to wait until summer next year to get an answer, as Robertson is eligible to extend starting on January 1. That's a few months of playing and getting an idea of where the team is headed and whether or not Robertson feels like he wants to be part of those plans.
It's ample time for him to get an idea but it's also a good amount of time for the Maple Leafs to gauge how their own season is going.
If the Maple Leafs make the playoffs but are taken down early, it may give John Chayka pause and he could try and make one more big splash in Auston Matthews' final year - but still have Robertson to work with McKenna, Knies and Nylander.
But you also have to factor in his brother Nick's opinion as he knows better than anyone how that organization functions and with him having some tension with the club and having been traded away, he could try and persuade his brother to sign elsewhere - and they'll have ample time to talk too; the two are close.
To Robertson, the fit matters. He isn't going to go anywhere for money and he certainly doesn't want to go to a place he is unsure can win (hence the rejected Seattle deal).
Whether that fit is in Toronto is solely up to him, but if it is then the Maple Leafs need to make sure they have more than enough money to pay for his services.
Would you like to see the Maple Leafs sign Jason Robertson or save money for Auston Matthews?
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