For the fishbowl that is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ media market, it’s rather remarkable that murmurs surrounding Nicholas Robertson’s trade request remained as quiet as they did all summer. Perhaps it was the fact that the request came on the eve of free agency, or maybe on account of his status as a secondary, middle-six forward. Still, the lack of attention has been noteworthy for a homegrown 22-year-old lineup mainstay who finished eighth on the team in goals last season.
As the summer winds to a close and training camp approaches, that lack of attention seems to be a thing of the past. With increasing discussions related to Toronto’s need at left wing, it’s hard not to link that to the uncertain status of Robertson, who also remains unsigned as a restricted free agent (RFA).
With camp just weeks away and the player and club at an apparent stalemate, let’s examine the pros and cons of each of the Maple Leafs’ options at this stage.
Robertson Re-Signs
Pro
The organization would surely prefer to keep Robertson, given the need for young secondary scorers to complement the ‘Core Four’. After scoring 14 goals in 56 games last season, he could be on the verge of a true breakout campaign five years after being drafted. After all, if general manager (GM) Brad Treliving had no interest in bringing back the 2019 second-round pick, he likely would have been moved by now.
While this might be a best-case scenario for the Maple Leafs, it would obviously need to be a mutual decision. Robertson reportedly hasn’t backed off from his trade demand, so signing a new contract with the team would require him to change his stance. Perhaps Treliving and the front office can sell the Pasadena, California native on the idea of a new identity around head coach Craig Berube or increased opportunities at left wing that will leave him well ahead of the 11:23 of average ice time he had last season.
Con
Any hopes – however slim – of retaining Robertson have to come with caveats. The Maple Leafs currently have $1.275 million in cap space, meaning that there are limits to what they can offer as a pay raise to a player who made $832,500 last season. Furthermore, re-signing the former Peterborough Pete would be problematic if he still wasn’t happy and was only agreeing to terms on account of a lack of options (he is an RFA, after all).
Robertson Gets Traded
Pro
While losing the services of Robertson wouldn’t be the organization’s first choice, it’s not like it would represent any major hindrance to the Maple Leafs’ season. By trading him, the club would be divesting themselves of a disgruntled player who could quickly become a distraction ahead of what is a crucial upcoming season.
Toronto would also be opening up opportunities for some internal candidates to join the big club. Alex Steeves recently re-signed with the organization and could be positioned for a bigger NHL opportunity (and a crack at his first career goal) after getting brief cups of coffee in each of the past three seasons. Alex Nylander joined the pipeline this summer and might earn an opportunity to join his brother in the Maple Leafs’ forward corps after managing 11 goals in 23 games with Columbus last season. Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann should both see their roles increase further in the event of Robertson’s departure.
In all likelihood, a Robertson trade would reap draft assets and prospects (not unwelcomed for a franchise that doesn’t have their own second-round pick until 2027) rather than NHL-ready players. However, speculation has already started to pick up regarding the market of remaining available left-wingers that, while thin, do feature names like Masterton Trophy winner Max Pacioretty, former Leaf James van Riemsdyk, and one-time 36-goal scorer Mike Hoffman.
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Con
Any Robertson trade comes with the looming threat of instant seller’s remorse. With a bigger opportunity and a fresh start elsewhere, it’s reasonable that the team to acquire Robertson would be landing a breakout scorer. Conversely, losing the speedy winger would also leave an even greater void within an already-depleted left-wing depth chart.
After Tyler Bertuzzi left and no replacement was brought in, the position appears rather thin with Knies and McMann currently slotted in as the top two options. Max Domi and John Tavares can be moved to the wing if needed, but Robertson would certainly leave a noticeable void. Trading him would make an already weak position that much weaker.
Robertson Sits at Home
Pro
Under this scenario, Treliving exercises the fact that the Maple Leafs carry all the leverage and lets Robertson wait out a resolution. While there’s no question that this would be an undesired outcome – both for the player missing important developmental time and for the team that is down a key asset – there are possible long-term positives.
Perhaps Toronto gains the upper hand as their stalemate with Robertson continues. Or perhaps the youngster realizes that he just wants to be out on the ice and agrees to return. There’s also the possibility that someone in the Maple Leafs’ organization thrives while being thrust into a larger role and helps the club learn something new about their roster.
While teams like the Boston Bruins (Jeremy Swayman) and Detroit Red Wings (Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond) risk a significant drop in their caliber of play by letting their impact RFAs remain on the sidelines, the Maple Leafs likely wouldn’t notice much of a hit to their performance if Robertson isn’t on the ice on opening night.
Con
Okay, this one is fairly simple. It does no one any good for Robertson to sit at home. It only serves to create a lose-lose situation, where the team is down a top-nine forward and the player is needlessly kept off the ice. For any hope on the part of the club for an impasse to prompt Robertson to panic and re-sign, it’s far more likely that such a scenario would leave the rift between the sides impossible to fully come back from.
In a perfect world, retaining Robertson would have been a highly uneventful exercise, yielding a reasonable, long-term deal to set up his prime years in Toronto. Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world and so the saga of the 2019 draftee’s future with the club carries on. An imminent resolution seems likely when you consider the urgent need to act on filling out the lineup; however, having him signed and ready to start the season as a Maple Leaf seems increasingly unlikely.
