Nick Robertson of the Toronto Maple Leafs remains an RFA, as the dissatisfied forward has requested a trade.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that allows users to design their own transactions, and one user requested that the Montreal Canadiens acquire Robertson.
Canadiens get:
The Maple Leafs acquire Nick Robertson.
2025 second-round pick
2025 third-round pick
On paper, this contract makes sense because Robertson is a former second-round choice who has performed well in the NHL when given the opportunity. Montreal, for example, has two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and three third-round picks in the 2025 NHL draft, so surrendering two of them isn’t a big problem.
Robertson is expected to be the Canadiens’ second-line left winger, playing alongside Alex Newhook and Christian Dvorak. At 22, Robertson fits very well with the rest of the Canadiens’ youthful core, as he would be given a significant role that he isn’t getting in Toronto.
Robertson has 14 goals and 13 assists in 56 games last season, totaling 27 points. He’s only appeared in 87 NHL games, scoring 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs would receive two draft picks, which GM Brad Treliving may use at the deadline to further strengthen his team’s squad.
Maple Leafs Reluctant to Trade Robertson
Even though Robertson has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs and has no plans to re-sign, Treliving is hesitant to move him.
After the first day of free agency on July 1, Treliving feels Robertson can play a significant role in Toronto this season.
“I have certainly known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” according to Treliving. “There is an excellent chance for Nick here. We need him to be an effective player for us. I’m not going to engage in any speculation or public back and forth. We will simply leave it at that and keep moving forward.”
Robertson was selected with the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He is the younger brother of the Dallas Stars’ great forward, Jason Robertson.
Canadiens Focus on Re-Signing Their Own
After missing the playoffs, Montreal focused on re-signing its own players.
The Canadiens are rebuilding, and in the offseason, they signed long-term agreements with Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Justin Barron.
According to Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, he held steady on the first day of free agency because no transaction made sense for him or the team.
“We didn’t go into today expecting to accomplish everything we wanted to. I believe that what happens with free agency, and it is normal, is that if you are extremely committed to going out with anything, you may come out with something that you later regret,” Hughes remarked.
“So, we wanted to start the day with discipline and say, if we can accomplish it within these constraints, we’ll do it. Otherwise, we’re happy with waiting and seeing what happens, whether through free agency later or trade first,” Hughes added.
The Canadiens open their 2024-25 NHL season at home on Oct. 9 against the Maple Leafs.
