Report suggests Maple Leafs may avoid major hurdle with Nick Robertson

For those who have been keeping an eye on the Leafs throughout the summer, you'll be fully aware of the fact that Robertson had requested a trade prior to the start of free agency.

The Leafs have been tight against the salary cap for a number of years running and with Robertson being waivers exempt, it has led to the former 2nd round pick being demoted to the Marlies for cap reasons, even when he deserved to be on the main roster at the conclusion of training camp.

Last season, Robertson's frustrations hit fever pitch when he was routinely made a healthy scratch by then Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, despite the fact that he was producing points at a decent clip, even in limited usage. Ultimately, the former 54-goal scorer for the Peterborough Petes fully embraced the idea of a fresh start elsewhere.

When Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke with the media after his initial surge of UFA signings this summer, he spoke of the excellent opportunity available for Robertson this season after a productive 2023-24 campaign. It sounded an awful lot like the Leafs would not entertain the idea of honouring his request and trading him. It was then that concerns that he might sign an offer sheet first arose.

Recently, we saw Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg sign offer sheets with the St. Louis Blues. Robertson is less than two weeks older than Holloway and was more productive last season, so when Holloway received a 2-year offer from the Blues at a whopping $2.29M per season, he was quick to jump on the deal. Some were concerned that Robertson may do the same.

According to an article from Editor in Leaf on Thursday, it is not expected that Robertson will receive an offer sheet. Perhaps this is due to his lengthy injury history and the inherent risk that would come with offering him a package that the Leafs would be hard-pressed to match. A larger financial commitment or longer term than teams may be comfortable with may be the only way to pry him out of Toronto. Therefore, I do agree with EIL in that an offer sheet seems unlikely.

For Robertson, it's been a tough road to get to where he is. There have been a lot of odds he has had to defy at his size, and a lot of injury issues he has had to overcome. The hope is that he and the Leafs can find some sort of a happy medium in their ongoing contract negotiations and that he can continue to be a productive member of the team, perhaps with a larger role. However, if a trade is something that the Leafs finally do decide to grant him, hopefully Robertson will net them a fair return, which would be at least a 3rd round draft pick.

Source: Editor in Leaf
Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Nick Robertson Unlikely to Receive Offer Sheet