Maple Leafs winger reportedly eyeing long-term extension

A much-anticipated chaotic offseason is still in full swing for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they continue to navigate, as well as attempt to finalize and assign front office roles. Adding to that, the team will also have to take a look at their roster and determine who gets the boot and who is rewarded with a roster spot and more playing time next year.

With many roster pieces to navigate through, there is one player who is specifically looking for a tenured contract. The said player is none other than Nick Robertson.

According to an X posting by Maple Leafs News, Sportsnet's Luke Fox says that the 24-year-old winger is basing his decision to seek a long-term deal on how he played this past season.

In this case, the numbers would have to side with Robertson this time around. In just 78 games played this year, he recorded 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists). Of course, they aren't breathtaking numbers to safely ensure he gets a big contract, but the idea is that he has improved this season in comparison to the past. However, that point total was good enough to place him in the top 10 on the team.

Last year, in 69 games played, Robertson put together 22 points (15 goals, seven assists). In the 2023-24 season, he got 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 56 games, which was his career high in the NHL at that time. Prior to that, Robertson was splitting time between the Leafs and the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

With steady progress, Robertson could very well be more of a key player in the future. Even as soon as next year, the Leafs are hoping and looking for much better results from players and an even better team result as they will now have to try to avenge their playoff streak that has now ended after about a decade.

Why resigning Nick Robertson could benefit the Leafs

The Leafs are looking for any spark they can find up front with the forwards next year, seeing as they lacked a great amount of scoring this season. By resigning Robertson to a long-term deal, it gives him a much bigger opportunity with the team, as well as confidence knowing he's locked up for a while.

Again, he is only 24-years-old and still has a lot of time to grow and flourish into the key player the Leafs want him to be, much as the player Robertson himself wants to be on the ice for the team.

The Leafs virtually have nothing to lose in terms of signing or resigning forwards, given that their core of Matthew Knies, William Nylander, John Tavares and Auston Matthews are all under contract for the foreseeable future. So why not put Robertson in the books as well? He has slowly, yet surely, set a new career high in points this past season. With him trending in the right direction, giving him a longer contract when he is serious enough to now seek it would be something to pounce on for the Leafs.

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