The three most likely trade destinations for Nicholas Robertson emerge
The Hockey News' own Adam Proteau has listed 3 potential trade destinations for disgruntled Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicholas Robertson, who requested a trade a few short weeks ago.
Shortly after being extended a qualifying offer, Maple Leafs forward and former second round draft pick, Nicholas Robertson, reportedly requested a trade. It has been a tumultuous start to his career and while he is looking for greener pastures and a fresh start, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving isn't in any hurry to trade the 22-year-old.
According to Proteau, there are 3 possible teams that would not only be a good fit for the Robertson but could provide the Leafs with the best trade package. They are the San Jose Sharks, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Vegas Golden Knights - should Treliving go down that route.
The Sharks enter the 2024-25 season with a loaded prospect pool that includes Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, and William Eklund among others, so adding another young player to their pool would be beneficial. They also carry $14.767 million in cap space and plenty of picks in the first few rounds in the next 3 years - something that would entice the Maple Leafs, who don't have much in the way of draft capital for the next couple of years.
The Blue Jackets are another rebuilding team that could look to take advantage of the situation. Boone Jenner is reportedly on the block and should he be moved, that would open a up spot for Robertson to play meaningful hockey in a team's top six for the first time in his career, beyond the odd game or two in the top six in Toronto.
Similarly to San Jose, Columbus would more than likely cough up a high draft pick and/or a prospect, which would be a boon for the Leafs who currently have just 4 picks in the 2025 draft and 3 picks in 2026 draft and a fairly sparse prospect pool.
The third and final team that Proteau noted were the Golden Knights. They are over the cap ceiling by almost 4 million dollars but could still use as many cheap depth forward options as possible after losing Jonathan Marchessault, Anthony Mantha, and Chandler Stephenson to the free agent market this summer. The Knights don't have a first round pick over the next 2 years but they do have all their 2nd rounders and have 5 third round picks in the next 3 years.
The Leafs might settle for a decent prospect instead of a draft pick, but whatever the case may be, Vegas would be adding a potential 20-25-goal-scorer without taking anything off the NHL roster, and Toronto would dispose of an unhappy camper and open up a roster spot for a youngster such as Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten. It's a win-win for both teams, and that's the kind of deal that often gets made in hockey's best league."
-Proteau on the Golden Knights
Trading Robertson would be a tough pill to swallow considering the hype and potential he carried after being drafted in the second round in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He has played sparingly over the last 5 years and while his AHL numbers have been sparkling, he's left a lot to be desired at the NHL-level. Moving on would get rid of a disgruntled body, the Leafs would address their pipeline and barren draft cupboard, and they would save a decent chunk of change in the process.
Source for Adam Proteau's article:
Three Potential Trade Destinations For Maple Leafs Winger Nick Robertson
Source for San Jose, Columbus, and Vegas' draft capital:
Salary Cap Summary
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 11 | 408 ANSWERS The three most likely trade destinations for Nicholas Robertson emerge Of these three destinations, which team would provide the Leafs with the best return for Nick Robertson? | ||
| San Jose | 87 | 21.3 % |
| Columbus | 56 | 13.7 % |
| Vegas | 100 | 24.5 % |
| The Leafs should keep him | 165 | 40.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
