It’s officially September which means we have hockey this month. As we are under a week and a half away from the start of training camps, teams are looking to add some depth to find players who may have slipped through the cracks of free agency. Some teams are bringing players in on professional try-outs (PTOs), while some are going internal to find the next crop of guys to play on the NHL roster. However, many players are still unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and restricted free agents (RFAs). The St. Louis Blues made waves when they offer-sheeted Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers. In this day in age of the NHL, there aren’t many offer sheets going around and it makes one think, could we see more in the future?
Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, they are no strangers to offer sheets as they gave one to Jesperi Kotkaniemi when he was still with the Montreal Canadiens. This was after the Canadiens tried to steal Sebastian Aho away before they matched the offer to keep him in Carolina. All of that to say, could the Hurricanes go down that road again but this time with the Toronto Maple Leafs? Fans and the NHL world already know that they will use the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) since the 2004-05 Lockout to help them and the salary cap. So if they can use the deferred payment rule that helped them lock up both Jaccob Slavin and Seth Jarvis long-term, general manager Eric Tulsky is well within his right to use the CBA with offer sheets as well.
So let’s dive into why the Hurricanes should offer sheet Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson.
Change of Scenery for Robertson
One of the many news cycles out of Toronto is that the 22-year-old Californian native wants out. After tallying 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games during the 2023-24 season where he was sent back and forth between the Maple Leafs and the Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), it seems the younger of the Robertson brothers – big brother Jason plays for the Dallas Stars – is ready to get a chance somewhere else. He averaged .48 points per game last season (seventh among 2024 RFAs) and had only four penalty minutes total. Robertson is coming off the most games played since being drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2019 during the second round.
He has been dealing with injuries for most of his career which has held him back from breaking out. However, last season saw one where he proved that he is ready for everyday play in the NHL. While he does have some things to fine-tune, his speed, work ethic, and never-give-up playstyle give him the tools to be ready to slide into a roster for 82 games a season.
Related: Nick Robertson Should Follow Jake DeBrusk’s Lead with Bruins
Last season, he averaged over 10:63 time-on-ice while having a goals-for percentage (GF%) of 54.50. That is only behind Cole Perfetti (61.90 GF%) and Thomas Harley (59.10 GF%). Furthermore, he had a Corsi-For percentage (CF%) of 50.10 (sixth for 2024 RFAs). Both of those numbers are better than Detroit Red Wings’ Lucas Raymond (45.90 GF% and 49.20 CF%), which goes to show that if Robertson is on the ice, there is a good chance of him or his line scoring and having a lot of puck possession. All of that while averaging a little over 10 and a half minutes per game jumping around the lineup or being in the NHL and AHL. He has more than proven in that sample size alone that he can be someone of use when given a chance.
It seems that the Maple Leafs are not willing to trade or pay him after Robertson made $796,667 last season. This is where the Hurricanes come into play with an offer sheet. As of right now, the Maple Leafs have $1.275 million left in their cap space while the Canes have $79,913. Carolina would have to move Jesper Fast to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) status to give them $2.479 million of cap flexibility. As things stand with the current RFA compensation for the 2024-25 season, anything under $1,511,701 requires no compensation if the opposing team doesn’t match the offer sheet. As long as the Hurricanes stay at $1,511,700 or less, they won’t owe the Maple Leafs anything.
However, if they really want to make sure the Maple Leafs cannot match, they can go as high as $2,290,457 to $2.479 million which will only cost one second-round pick. Unfortunately, they do not have their own third-round pick which is why they have to go up to that second-round pick tier. But if they think that $1.5 million is possible to get Robertson, there is no reason to go over $2 million on their offer sheet.
Related: Pros & Cons of the Maple Leafs’ Options with Nicholas Robertson
Why does it make sense for the Hurricanes to offer sheet Robertson? He is 22 years old and has the tools to be an effective two-way player with exceptional speed. Putting him on the second line with Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas could be tough for opponents to defend with two speedsters and a Jordan Staal 2.0 in a defensive center. If the Hurricanes do not want to go with guys in their 30s like James van Riemsdyk or Mike Hoffman while giving the younger guys with less than three games of NHL experience more time to play in the AHL, Robertson makes sense to go after. Since 2020-21, he has played in 87 NHL games while being called up and down for cap compliance.
While he’s played under 100 games in the NHL, last season’s 56 games are enough of a sample size to give him a flier in a change of scenery that he is asking for. Plus, being on a roster coached by Rod Brind’Amour with a team with proven playoff success could benefit Robertson and even the Hurricanes. A young winger with the tools to fit within the system well and could get a bridge deal next offseason for two or three years, which at that time puts him at 25 or 26 since he will be turning 23 years old here soon on Sept. 11. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move for the team to give him an offer sheet in a season where it’s already being considered a transition year for them.
With Dmitry Orlov, Brent Burns, and Frederik Andersen’s contracts coming off the books next offseason, that makes room for Robertson to get extended while giving Jackson Blake, Bradly Nadeau, Scott Morrow, and others chances to make the main roster next season. Either way, if you’re the Hurricanes and want to add a player with some NHL experience at a young age who can score, it makes sense to go after the California kid who wants out of Toronto.
Right Around the Corner
Whether they make the offer or not, we are 33 days away from the opening night game for the Hurricanes on Oct. 11 versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be an interesting season for the Hurricanes with new faces on the roster after a changing of the guard in the offseason. Either way, it will be a season of transition and one where they should make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Is it Oct. 11 yet?
