Maple Leafs RFA Nick Robertson Could Be Targeted By Metropolitan Team

Nick Robertson is one unhappy camper for the Toronto Maple Leafs. This we know. He has asked for a trade, a fresh start elsewhere. The latest report from Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is suggesting that the Penguins could be the team that frees the 22-year-old from the Leafs' clutches.

Vensel reasons that the Penguins have stated emphatically that they want to get younger, and are in need of another forward.

What's left in free agency just won't get the job done, on either youth or impact (Tyler Johnson, Max Pacioretty and James van Riemsdyk are the most notable options). Two other strong trade targets, Trevor Zegras and Rutger McGroarty, who meet both criteria, will be very costly to obtain. So Vensel suggests that Nick Robertson would be a more reasonable and attainable target, while throwing the LA Kings' Arthur Kaliyev into the mix as well.

The Penguins could target one of Arthur Kaliyev and Nick Robertson, a pair of skilled players in their early 20s who thus far have been unable to secure regular roles with the teams that drafted them in recent years... Both represent a bet on untapped potential.

Robertson, in particular, had a sneaky-good season in 2023-24, playing 56 games for the Leafs, and lighting the lamp 14 times in only 11:23 of ice time per night. His quick release led to a shooting percentage of 14.6%. But his opportunities were limited, as always (though much of it in the past has been due to a multitude of injuries).

Plus, there's a natural link here, as Robertson was drafted in the 2nd round in 2019 by none other than current Penguins GM Kyle Dubas.

If there's a team that makes sense for Robertson, Pittsburgh might certainly be it.

The only question, of course, is how would the dynamics work of Dubas trying to swing a trade with his old club? Or perhaps an offer sheet could be the solution?