Call it a depth move when the Toronto Maple Leafs avoided arbitration with 23-year-old forward Nicholas Robertson earlier this month, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1.825 million, but what they may have done is much more complicated than simply signing a former draft pick of the organization to an extension.
Instead, given that Brad Treliving and the team didn’t get everything on their offseason checklist, the cost certainty of Robertson’s new contract puts him atop the Maple Leafs’ list of assets available for trade.
At the moment, names that have been thrown into the mix for another top or middle-six option are Calle Järnkrok, David Kämpf and, of course, Robertson. There’s a logjam on the Maple Leafs roster with the additions they’ve made this offseason and there will be a couple players who end up as the odd ones out. Even then, it still doesn’t clear room for Easton Cowan – but that’s another story.
With that in mind, it seems only natural that the Maple Leafs make Robertson available on the market given that he’s signed for the 2025-26 season now. But what makes him their top trade option?
Robertson Has Shown Glimpses of Offence
He might not be a playmaking winger, but his shot has certainly been on display – albeit inconsistently over his career with the Maple Leafs. From 2022-23 to 2023-24, Robertson jumped from just two goals to scoring 14, before tallying 15 goals in 2024-25 setting a new career high last season.
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He has a quick shot and quick release that plays into the glimpses of success that we’ve seen from Robertson early in his career. Every time that he was held out of the lineup this season, he came back and responded in his return with some kind of production, which is promising.
The issue, is that it hasn’t been consistent enough to keep him in the lineup for a full season. Overall, it can be argued that his ceiling hasn’t been met just yet from a developmental standpoint. Part of that is his limited ice-time. Part of it is injuries. But a fresh start with more opportunity could allow Robertson to take that next step offensively. After all, it is a big part of his game.
Roberston’s Status Remains Favourable
The second thing that makes Robertson an interesting trade target for teams will be his status following the one-year deal. After his season in 2025-26, Robertson will remain a restricted free-agent, meaning if a team trades for him, they will own his rights following the season.
Given the increased cap space and that a number of teams didn’t acquire what they were hoping to in free agency, it makes perfect sense that Robertson could be targeted by a number of other teams around the league. An affordable contract at $1.825 million, his potential and the control of RFA status make him a valuable commodity.
Assuming he gets a better opportunity – be it in Toronto or elsewhere – there’s no reason why he can’t be a 20-goal scorer in 2025-26. The issue then becomes, if a team acquires him this season and he does provide more offence, as we discussed earlier, his overall value would jump significantly from a $1.8-million contract to a number far more expensive. That said, his RFA status makes it much more appealing to teams knowing they have negotiating rights and potential arbitration if it goes down that road.
Maple Leafs, Robertson History Still Lingers
Finally, what makes him a more moveable asset than others within the organization is the lingering history between the two sides. It’s one that includes a reported trade request during the offseason prior to the 2024-25 season when he was allegedly disappointed with his usage up to that point.
While his feelings have obviously changed, having signed back-to-back one-year deals with the organization, it’s story that still sits in the minds of some within the fanbase and could come up if he were to disappoint early on during the 2025-26 campaign.
As such, Robertson is notoriously a slow starter. In 2021-22, he went three games without a point before recording his first goal of the season. It was his only point in 10 games that season. In 2022-23, he kicked off his season with two goals against his brother and the Dallas Stars, but went on to have just three more points over the next 14 games.
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His 2023-24 season might’ve been his best start, with points in four straight games to kick off the year. However, he followed that up with just one point over his next six games and just three points over his next 11 games. As for this past season, he opened the year with no points in the first six games and just one point in his first 19 games.
If that’s the way he kicks off the 2025-26 season in Toronto, the fans will eat that up pushing for him to be traded. So, while the Maple Leafs do have other trade options, many signs point to Robertson as the easiest to move. While time will tell, the clock’s ticking if the team and Treliving truly want to add one more piece up front to kick off the year.
