The Toronto Maple Leafs have an excess of forwards and could look to trade a young forward.
The Maple Leafs have been linked to trading the likes of Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf, but Nick Robertson’s name has also come up in trade talks. NHL insider Chris Johnston of SDPN reported on his show that Toronto is open to trading Robertson.
“ One thing in Toronto is the cupboards relatively bare because they’ve been a trade deadline buyer for season, after season, after season,” Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show on Sept. 11. “I think they’re in a position to be open-minded about the return. It’s about getting what they deemed to be fair value. But if it’s another young player, if it’s a draft pick, presumably it’s something that they can use to potentially make future trades as well.”
Robertson has been a healthy scratch at times, especially in the playoffs, which is why his name is on the trading block.
Robertson signed a one-year, $1.825 million extension with the Maple Leafs this offseason as he’s still an RFA. But, despite being 24, his time in Toronto could be coming to an end as Johnston believes the Maple Leafs could get a decent draft pick for him.
Robertson was selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He skated in 69 games, recording 15 goals and 7 assists for 22 points.
Maple Leafs Coach Uncertain Robertson Will Make Roster
Part of the reason why Robertson could be traded is due to the fact that he isn’t guaranteed a roster spot.
Ahead of training camp opening, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube spoke to The Athletic and wouldn’t guarantee Robertson being an everyday player.
“There’s a lot of competition at camp. I’ll leave it at that. There’s a lot of competition at camp, which is great. I think it makes for a competitive camp and that’s what we want, because that’s gonna get us more prepared for the regular season. I don’t have the answer to that right now. There’s jobs available and again, it’s a competition. You gotta come in and play your ass off and earn a spot,” Berube said to The Athletic.
With Robertson not being guaranteed a roster spot, he could very well be traded, as other teams would be interested in taking a flier on the young forward.
Toronto Not Ruling Out Making More Moves
Although the Maple Leafs will play preseason games this month, Toronto isn’t ruling out making more additions to its roster.
The Maple Leafs could use another top-six forward, while Toronto has been linked to dealing a defenseman as well.
“We’re always looking. I don’t think you ever stop. Whether it happens or not, we’ll see. We’ve got a lot of bodies right now, so we’ll see. More than likely, unless something changes. We’ll go with what we’ve got and see where it all sorts itself out,” Treliving said.
The Maple Leafs still have nearly $2 million in cap space, so they could add another player.
Toronto opens its season on Oct. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens.
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