Nick Robertson and Calle Jarnkrok are among the 20 leading names included in The Athletic’s NHL offseason trade board.
The list published on May 29 features a number of recognizable names such as Chris Kreider, Marco Rossi, Rasmus Andersson, and John Gibson.
Nick Robertson came into the ranking at no. 12 while Jarnkrok at no. 18. While there is no specific order to the list, it’s interesting to see that two of the Leafs’ bottom-six players would be ranked among some of the other higher-profile names this summer.
So, let’s take a look at the rationale behind including Robertson and Jarnkrok in The Athletic’s NHL offseason trade board.
Toronto Maple Leafs players included in NHL offseason trade board
Nick Robertson
Nick Robertson is no surprise on this list. His very public trade request last summer was more the result of frustration at not getting in the lineup than anything else.
Craig Berube promised to give Robertson a chance, which he did, but Robertson didn’t really run with it. In 69 games this season, Robertson notched 15 goals and 22 points. That’s not bad, but it isn’t quite what the Leafs would have hoped from the 23-year-old.
So, the club faces yet another summer of drama with Robertson. He hasn’t shown the talent to step into a middle-six role and he doesn’t have the mettle to be a bottom-six grinder. Perhaps experimenting with Robertson on the top line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies could be worth taking a look at.
But doing so would require re-signing Robertson and taking a chance on him.
As The Athletic points out, Robertson only suited up for three playoff games this spring. While he got two points in those games, he wasn’t the sort of difference-maker who could have provided depth against a team like the Florida Panthers.
The Leafs will likely try to shop his rights around, perhaps at the NHL Draft. But given his virtually non-existent interest in Robertson this past summer, my guess is that he’ll have no choice but to sign another one-year deal.
Calle Jarnkrok
I get why Calle Jarnkrok would be on this list. He’s way too expensive for a bottom-six player. He plays a role mainly as a depth forward who can occasionally put the puck in the back of the net. He scored 20 goals in his first season in Toronto but looking at his career numbers, that season was an outlier.
So, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking at potentially 15 goals from a fully healthy Jarnkrok for his $2.1 million cap hit. If we look at his contract based solely on those numbers, I’d say that’s a tad too high.
But there’s far more to Calle Jarnkrok than meets the eye. He’s a solid, 200-foot player who adds defensive accountability to a club that desperately needs to balance its top-heavy approach.
While Jarnkrok didn’t turn any heads during the postseason, I would like to point out that his line, along with Scott Laughton, was reliable in both rounds despite not scoring at all.
The reality is that Jarnkrok figures to be a cap casualty this summer. There could be other teams out there looking for a dependable bottom-six winger who could provide some depth scoring.
As The Athletic noted, $1.3 million of Jarnkrok’s $2.1 million cap hit is a signing bonus to be paid on July 1. So, any interested parties could wait till July 2 to pull the trigger on the deal and they would be on the hook for only about $750K in real salary despite Jarnkrok’s official $2.1 million cap hit hitting their books.
Ultimately, I don’t see Jarnkrok getting moved. He’s much more useful to Craig Berube than Nick Robertson. If I had to bet, I’d say Jarnkrok plays out his contract in Toronto, then walks away in 2026.