Top 3 teams who should call the Maple Leafs for Nick Robertson
While the Maple Leafs will buy at the trade deadline, there is one player in their organization they may look to sell.
Nick Robertson has been in and out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup over the last four seasons, seeing 69 games in that span. While he has been a sound player for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Robertson has yet to duplicate that success in the NHL. So, a change of scenery could be ideal for the former 53rd-overall pick.
So far, Robertson has just 26 career points and 11 goals, an average time on ice of 10:53, and a shooting percentage of just 10.2 percent. Since he is, however, formerly a relatively high draft pick with experience in the NHL, there are a few teams who could wind up trading for the 22-year-old, especially if they have an asset to give the Maple Leafs.
Toronto is looking to finally embark on a deep playoff run after giving their fans hope a season ago when they won their first postseason series in quite some time. But it doesn’t look like Robertson will play a major role in helping the Maple Leafs get there.
The Maple Leafs could entice a non-contender with Nick Robertson
Toronto could use Robertson as a trade piece to bring an under-the-radar talent like Joel Edmundson to Ontario, or they can call up one of the three teams listed in the following slides.
Each organization mentioned won’t make the playoffs in 2024 barring a historic run in March and April. And a high-potential player like Robertson could entice them to trade a valuable asset that could finally catapult Toronto into their first Conference Finals series in two-and-a-half decades.
So, which teams should have the Maple Leafs on speed dial if Toronto ends up heavily shopping Robertson at the deadline? We got one team that could find itself just a few assets away from finally contending while the other two could use someone like Robertson to be a high-end player in the prospects pool if not more.
The Arizona Coyotes still need more young talent after showing flashes
The Arizona Coyotes had just about the entire NHL universe going through the first half of the season. Arizona played so well, they found themselves in legitimate wild card contention, but their 11-game losing streak proved they are still at least another young asset or two away from serious contention.
This will prompt the Coyotes to bring in a high-potential piece like Robertson who may help a young team like Arizona break through to the next level. As for Toronto, there are players Arizona could end up shopping who can, in turn, help the Maple Leafs, mainly Mathew Dumba.
It would take some serious effort to bring a player like Dumba to town in exchange for Robertson and other assets, given overall cap space limitations. But thanks to Toronto’s so-so results defensively and on the penalty kill, they would more than thrive with a player of Dumba’s caliber for at least the remainder of the season.
Overall, such a move would be a massive boost for the Maple Leafs while Roberson could start over in Phoenix. At least in foresight, it would be a win-win trade between Toronto and Arizona. In the long term, both teams could more than benefit from a trade package involving the two players.
Nick Robertson is another youngster the Anaheim Ducks should keep an eye on
Teams fully entrenched in their respective rebuilding efforts like the Anaheim Ducks should be looking to find ways to bring in young players with high potential, whether it’s someone like Edmonton’s Philip Broberg, Detroit’s Jonatan Berggren, or Nick Robertson.
Luckily for the Maple Leafs, the Ducks have a defenseman who is quite familiar to the fans in Ontario: Ilya Lyubushkin. Just two seasons ago, the Maple Leafs traded for Lyubushkin in hopes that the hard-hitting blueliner would help their team defensively. This year, Toronto once again finds itself in a predicament where they need help on the blue line, and Lyubushkin could be there for the taking.
Injuries marred Lyubushkin’s 2022-23 season during his lone year with the rival Buffalo Sabres, but with the Ducks, the 29-year-old has been one of the more durable players out there.
As with a potential trade with Arizona for Dumba, the Ducks would be looking for more than just a prospect with NHL experience for Lyubushkin. But it also doesn’t mean the Maple Leafs can’t add the winger into a potential trade package to entice Anaheim to send Lyubushkin back to Ontario.
The Ducks will look for young players whose time with their current organizations hasn't gone as planned. And they will be shopping Lyubushkin to contenders that are cool with inserting a young player as part of a trade package.
The San Jose Sharks are an organization looking for potential-laden young players
The San Jose Sharks will be one of the NHL’s most active teams at the trade deadline, and when the dust settles, they could have traded away at least three prominent players in Anthony Duclair, Kaapo Kahkonen, and Mike Hoffman. Tomas Hertl could have also seen himself as part of that group had it not been for a lower-body injury earlier this month that will deter teams from trading for him, and perhaps even Alexander Barabanov will hear his name called.
If the Maple Leafs were looking to trade for one more depth scorer like Duclair or Hoffman, San Jose would make a great trading partner. Robertson would fit in with an organization starting over, and he may find himself as one of the top young players in the system early on.
Like Anaheim, don’t be surprised if the Sharks ask for other young players whose stints in their current cities haven’t worked out, especially with the number of trade pieces they have. For Robertson, not only could he be a top young name in San Jose, but also part of what could be the beginning of a young core.
Regardless of where Robertson goes should the Maple Leafs trade him, one thing is clear: He will have a much better chance to see more ice time elsewhere than he would in Toronto.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 23rd)