Important deadline officially passes for Nick Robertson and Connor Dewar
The deadline for RFAs to sign their qualifying offers has now officially passed and here's what that means for Maple Leafs forwards Connor Dewar and Nick Robertson.
Dewar elected for arbitration in early July after refusing his qualifying offer of $892,500. The 25-year-old 4th line forward isn't going to cost much after tallying 19 points (11 goals and 8 assists) between the Minnesota Wild and the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. There is still a chance he signs a contract before his arbitration date. Hearings will be held from July 20th to August 4th.
Nick Robertson's situation has yet to change. On June 30th, Chris Johnston reported that Robertson was no longer interested in playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs and has requested a trade.
Since then, there have been a number of discussions about what do with Robertson. Now that former Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe is gone, and Tyler Bertuzzi heading to Chicago, there's more of an opportunity for Robertson to play regular minutes in the lineup. He'll also have the chance to play under a Stanley Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube. Why would he want to be traded just as his days of bench warming appear to be coming to an end?
The Toronto Maple Leafs really struggle to score in the playoffs and need more goal scoring outside of their core forwards. Nick is young, affordable and can certainly score, even with limited minutes. His defensive game needs a lot of work, but his shot is lethal and he's only 22. He has value to the Leafs either on the team, or as a trade piece. Will he change his mind or should he be shipped out regardless?
Toronto's forward group could have more holes in it in the next couple of weeks. We'll find out what happens with these two soon enough.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 16 | 356 ANSWERS Important deadline officially passes for Nick Robertson and Connor Dewar Will Dewar and Robertson still be on the Maple Leafs' roster on opening night? | ||
| Yes, Dewar will. | 132 | 37.1 % |
| Yes, they both will. | 87 | 24.4 % |
| Yes, Robertson will. | 52 | 14.6 % |
| No, launch them both into the sun. | 85 | 23.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
