Nick Robertson was traded to the Penguins only a short while ago but we know that it may have been the right move after he signed his latest contract.
John Chayka and the Maple Leafs were busy on the first day of NHL Free Agency, as they not only signed a flurry of players but also kicked off the festivities by trading the polarizing Nick Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Knowing that the team was headed in a different direction, Chayka pulled the trigger on trading Robertson after he failed to really cement a role with the team. He got a fourth-round pick for him and while that isn't exactly a huge return, it saved them from signing him to a deal they couldn't afford.
Being an RFA, Robertson needed a new deal and while he did end up putting in career-high numbers last season, that was with a depleted team who had literally no fight in the game from December onwards.
Though, as much as there was some friction, Robertson took time to thank the organization for his time there:
Very grateful and fortunate to have played for the Maple Leafs! Amazing organization, staff, and teammates. I will always cherish the memories and relationships that I have made over the years! Playing in the NHL is a privilege…
I look forward to my new chapter in Pittsburgh and thank everyone who has been a part of my journey in Toronto.
Pittsburgh just paid Robertson like an NHL regular despite only paying a fourth-round pick for him
A focus on adding defence made him expendable and his former GM was more than happy to take him on.
And Kyle Dubas just locked him up for a pretty hefty price all things considered:
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It was announced the Penguins had signed Robertson to a two-year, $6.5-million deal on Tuesday with the entire pay coming via salary and no bonuses.
That seems like a bit of an overpayment but considering he made $1.83-million after threatening arbitration last year - it's almost double his past pay. That's a lot for a guy who has been given chances but never capitalized, and Dubas is betting that a change of scenery will do him good.
Obviously he's banking on it financially but also in the hopes of potentially landing Jason Robertson and uniting him with his brother which would give Pittsburgh a brand new dynamic in the wake of the twilight of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's careers.
Avoiding paying Robertson was a smart move but it could very well backfire
Now obviously, Toronto decided that Robertson wasn't worth it and despite his fair production over the past few seasons; wasn't a fit anymore. But that very well could come back to bite them hard considering his potential.
This is a player who has 20+ goal talent in addition to a relentless engine and some peskiness attached to him. Dubas knows what he is getting and since he drafted him, knows possibly more than any other GM would about Robertson and it's why he pulled the trigger.
While you aren't going to get that 20-goal potential from the new faces, there is a potential for Nick Paul to be that offensive force on the bottom-six while adding more toughness and defence.
The team had no identity in their bottom-six, changed that this summer, and you're going to have to accept losing some offensive opportunities for the sake of being more well-rounded.
Right now there was no real room for Nick Robertson with the Maple Leafs and the team decided to let him go. He got the payday he wanted plus a change of scenery but Toronto isn't too worried so long as he doesn't decide he wants to prove them wrong.
Will the Maple Leafs trading Nick Robertson backfire on them?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Morgan Rielly made himself a lot easier for Toronto to trade