It may seem like an unpopular call to make. But there is no reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn’t sign Nick Robertson to an eight-year deal this summer.
The thought came to mind when the Carolina Hurricanes extended Jackson Blake earlier this week. The Hurricanes signed Blake to an eight-year extension after just one season.
Now, we could argue that Blake, even with one season, has produced more than Robertson. But what guarantee do the Hurricanes have that Blake’s solid rookie season isn’t just a one-off?
The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have much more data to base their decision on Nick Robertson. Robertson looks like he could be a consistent 15-20 goal scorer at the NHL level. That’s not bad, especially when considering how fleeting NHL careers can be.
Additionally, he’s still a young player. He’s only 23 and still has a high enough ceiling to where a case could be made for a long-term extension.
But there’s another powerful reason. Like the Hurricanes, like all 32 teams, the Maple Leafs face shifting rules when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) comes into force next season. Under the new CBA guidelines, teams will be unable to sign players to eight-year deals. Team will only have seven-year contracts to offer.
So, why not lock up Robertson now and get that eighth year into the mix?
The other advantage to signing Robertson to a max-term deal lies in the potentially lower AAV. If Robertson feels that a long-term deal now would be his best bet, he could take the lower cap hit to ensure he’ll have a job for the next eight season.
There’s a chance that Robertson may prefer a short-term deal, of course. He might feel like he wants to prove he’s worth much more than the Maple Leafs could offer now.
But then again, job security is one of the most valuable things in life.
What do Maple Leafs do if Robertson doesn’t pan out?
The biggest risk is that Nick Robertson signs a long-term extension and fizzles out. Despite the job security, Robertson just doesn’t pan out and become the impactful NHLer the organization hoped.
So, what do the Maple Leafs do in that situation?
If the club offers a full no-trade clause, said clause would handcuff the team.
Perhaps the best option might be a modified no-trade clause. Something like a 10-team list would suffice.
GM Brad Treliving would be under tremendous fire if Robertson fails to live up to his contract. But then again, we’ve seen how the Leafs have given up on prospects time and time again. Giving up on Nick Robertson now could add another name to the long list of young players the Leafs have dumped over the years.
Robertson could join another club with a chip on his shoulder. That determination could spur him to prove everyone wrong.
So, why go through that?
Instead, signing Robertson long-term now would give him another motivator: Proving he’s worth every penny of the deal he signed.
It’s a gamble, either way. But it’s one the Maple Leafs must make on the side of buying rather than selling.