The post NHL rumors: Leafs’ Nick Robertson linked to 3 non-playoff teams appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Nick Robertson reached an agreement on a one-year deal, which earned him $1.825 million against the salary cap. Though it seemed like Robertson would be returning to the team, there’s a good chance that the Maple Leafs will trade him before the season as they try to get their cap situation together, according to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thought Podcast
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“The Maple Leafs have to clear some bodies there,” Friedman said. “There’s a lot of them.
“I definitely think the Maple Leafs have work to do here,” I don’t know what their timeline is, but nobody expects them not to do things before puck drops, that’s for sure.”
There are three teams that could be interested in him, and they are the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
For the Blackhawks, they’re trying to get over the hump, and they want to start delivering on the expectations that are set on them. After drafting Connor Bedard, it feels like the push for them to be a competitive team is sooner rather than later, and Robertson could be the player to help them.
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The Red Wings are trying to make it back to the playoffs, but there are some areas where they need improvement, more specifically, scoring. Robertson could fill in nicely in that role and could help a team that has a few trusted veterans as well.
The Penguins would be a nice situation for Robertson, one because he’s familiar with the general manager Kyle Dubas when he spent time in Toronto. The Penguins have cap space to take on Robertson and are also looking for scoring help.
Robertson could be a help to any team looking to add him, as he played a career-high 69 games during the 2024-25 season. He recorded 15 goals and seven assists for 22 total points that season, and has played in 156 career games with 32 goals and 24 assists for 56 points.
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