Two Teams Surfacing as the Most Realistic Trade Fits for Maple Leafs' Nick Robertson
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
According to NHL Insiders Chris Johnston and Jonas Siegel, there are two teams who are a perfect fit for Nick Robertson as the Maple Leafs keep looking for a trade.
Reports earlier this week revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs were looking to find a potential buyer for polarizing forward Nick Robertson. He hasn't really found a great fit with the team, and his inconsistent offense is only hurting his chances.
There have been rumors of a trade previously, and Robertson's confidence in himself almost led him to earning an even bigger contract this past summer; but he has one assist in five games and only 11 shots.
Two Teams Emerge As Nick Robertson Buyers
It might be time to cut ties with the young forward, and with guys like Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz soon to return, Robertson might find himself on the outs, and they may just have the teams to do it.
A new report from The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Jonas Siegel shows that both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets make perfect fits for a player like Robertson:
Finding an interested suitor willing to pay a price that makes sense for the Maple Leafs hasn't been easy. Two teams that might eventually fit the bill: Pittsburgh and Columbus.
The Penguins are in the throes of a rebuild and have targeted players in Robertson's age range with upside over the last year.
Plus, there's a connection to Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh's president and GM, who was in charge of the Leafs' draft table when Robertson was selected 53rd in 2019.
Columbus doesn't have the same apparent need for a scoring winger, with former first-rounder Yegor Chinakhov still unable to crack the lineup after his trade request went unfulfilled this summer.
However, the Blue Jackets have at least taken a call on the player.
The Penguins are in the throes of a rebuild and have targeted players in Robertson's age range with upside over the last year.
Plus, there's a connection to Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh's president and GM, who was in charge of the Leafs' draft table when Robertson was selected 53rd in 2019.
Columbus doesn't have the same apparent need for a scoring winger, with former first-rounder Yegor Chinakhov still unable to crack the lineup after his trade request went unfulfilled this summer.
However, the Blue Jackets have at least taken a call on the player.
We've previously brought up both the Penguins and Blue Jackets as potential fits for Robertson, with the former helping bring in someone like a Rickard Rakell, with the latter swapping out for the aforementioned Chinakhov.
But would it be better for the Toronto Maple Leafs to get rid of someone with such talent?
Toronto Has To End The Nick Robertson Experiment
Honestly, at this point, Robertson has been given chance after chance and repeatedly disappointed. He scored five preseason goals last year, then completely fell off; he looked good this year too but zero goals on 11 shots.
He only has 32 goals in 161 games and even his playmaking took a massive hit last season with only seven assists and earning himself several healthy scratches.
Those shots have been decent, as there have been high-danger chances but it's the fact he's not shooting them hard (his hardest shot this year is 80 MPH) and for someone who is supposed to be speedy and scrappy; he's anything but.
He's not showing that elite speed that other guys like Bobby McMann, who is in the 95th percentile when it comes to skate speed; you need Robertson to be faster and stronger on the puck.
There isn't much more that he can do besides suddenly learn to score in bunches, and part of Toronto giving themselves a new identity means getting rid of Robertson.
It's not that he's a bad player at all, he's made the NHL after all. But he's not a great player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and both parties deserve a fresh start.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 17|1152 ANSWERS Two Teams Surfacing as the Most Realistic Trade Fits for Maple Leafs' Nick Robertson Where would you like to see Nick Robertson traded? | ||
| Pittsburgh | 336 | 29.2 % |
| Columbus | 191 | 16.6 % |
| Other | 313 | 27.2 % |
| Don't Trade Him | 312 | 27.1 % |
| List of polls | ||