The Toronto Maple Leafs could look to the trade market to find a fourth-line center following the injury to Scott Laughton.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Maple Leafs acquiring center Blake Lizotte from the Pittsburgh Penguins in an intriguing one-for-one swap.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Penguins acquire:
The proposed deal is a one-for-one swap that makes sense for both teams. Toronto acquires Lizotte, who can be the fourth-line center, while Pittsburgh gets Robertson, who appears to be on the outside looking in for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs.
Toronto would acquire Lizotte, who’s entering the final year of his four-year, $3.7 million deal with the Penguins. Lizotte will be the Maple Leafs’ fourth-line center while Laughton is injured, and give the team more depth in the bottom six in case of more injuries. Lizotte recorded 11 goals and 9 assists for 20 points in 59 games last season.
In return, the Maple Leafs would give up Robertson, who appears to be on the outside looking in. Robertson will likely be a healthy scratch after he signed a one-year, $1.825 million deal to return to Toronto this offseason. He requested a trade two offseasons ago, and it appears a trade could finally happen. Robertson could have a chance at being a top-six forward for the Penguins. He recorded 15 goals and 7 assists for 22 points in 69 games.
Laughton Dealing With Injury Ahead of Maple Leafs Season
Ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season starting, the Maple Leafs got bad news as Scott Laughton is dealing with an injury.
Laughton is considered week-to-week and will miss the beginning of the season due to the injury. Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube, meanwhile, said it’s disappointing for Laughton as he had a good camp.
“It’s a tough loss for him and us,” Berube said. “It’s a bad break. He’s had a really good camp. Tough for everybody.”
Laughton was expected to be Toronto’s fourth-line center and add some secondary scoring. He also had a chip on his shoulder as he struggled last season after the Maple Leafs acquired him.
“I wasn’t good enough last year. That’s the bottom line,” Laughton said recently. “It was hard. The hardest part was, for sure, leaving Philly. You grew up there, and we had our kid there, and everything like that. You build something there, and I think you’re so ingrained in being a Flyer. So, to come here was a different feeling.”
Laughton recorded 2 assists in 12 playoff games with the Maple Leafs.
Robertson Has Been Linked to the Penguins
Pittsburgh would take a flier on Robertson, who can be a top-six forward.
Robertson has a scoring touch, and earlier this offseason, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman linked the winger to the Penguins.
“I had some people ask me about the possibility of Nick Robertson and Pittsburgh. Obviously, Kyle Dubas knows him. They got the arbitration settled on Saturday at $1.825 million,” Friedman said on 32 Thoughts.
With Robertson unlikely to crack the Maple Leafs roster, perhaps he does finally get traded. And, his former GM in Dubas takes a flier on him to add more scoring for the Penguins.
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